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Refuge
Laney Lowell moved across the country to escape her past, not to fall in love. But when she becomes friends with Gabe, a handsome artist plagued by a mysterious disease, she'll have to decide between facing his dark truth or walking away from him forever. This thrilling romance is full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 1, 2013
ARC supplied by NetGalley and Cedar Ford Inc. in exchange for an honest review.
"Hello, and welcome to another episode of Shove Insta-Love! Today, we have a jaw-dropping new world record - by page 21, and less than three conversations, Laney and Gabe are sickeningly and laughably in love with each other. Stay tuned for more groan-inducing interviews and critique!"
REFUGE is, quite frankly, a strange book. A terrible and strange book.
Laney, of course, is an orphan, like most young-adult heroines. She, of course, is absolutely gorgeous and completely unaware of it. Don't forget, she's moved to the tiniest town ever, that just so happens to contain a really hot, dangerous guy, who's keeping a huge secret.
Sound familiar, my friends? The only thing that isn't cliché is that Gabe has a thick Southern accent, one that when reading, made me cringe. I hate reading accents, especially Southern ones. I don't know why.
REFUGE contains the most unrealistic, unhealthy, disgusting case of falling in love I have ever encountered. People do not fall in "love" the way Gabe and Laney did. Gabe meets Laney when he says her from a big, badass bear. In my opinion, the bear should've just eaten her and I wouldn't have to write this review.
That was mean. Sorry.not really.
I have no words to describe this 'relationship' between them after Laney goes home.
According to Laney, they totally clicked and there's electricity and sparklies and omigod it just felt so right and he's so kind - I mean he saved her from a bear because she's a damsel in distress (even though she totally should've brought something since she's going into the motherfucking woods to see wolves alone) but it doesn't matter, why would it, because they're perfect for each other and stalking each other is normal and -
Shut the hell up.
Laney and Gabe basically become obsessed with each other that night, and Laney even goes as far to say she can't afford to fall for him because she already is, pretty much.
These people have known each other for less than three hours, and this bitch is thinking about falling for him. This was where I felt like chucking my Nook at the wall, which I know is an overused statement, but I really, really did. But wait - Gabe is no better, either. In fact, I'd say he's worse. How is that possible, you say? Here's a collection of quotes from these two stalkers (notice the page numbers):
"He'd felt a fierce protectiveness [...] because of her... Gabe, pg. 19
"You have feelings for this girl. Strong feelings." Gabe, pg. 21
"...would only increase his desire to be with her..." Gabe, pg. 22
"Dad, I don't know if I can live without her. I don't even know if I want to." Gabe, pg. 100
The last quote made me want to cry. This is not normal. Gabe has been out with her, I swear, less than six times and he already wants to die if she's not there. Literally.
Don't forget, Laney:
"Just thinking about him made her want to see him again and she groaned. She knew her heart really couldn't take more tragedy now, but he had made her feel so good-" Laney, pg. 21
"She knew the Jeep was his. It fit him." Laney, pg. 28
"She felt like she was whole when she was with him." Laney, pg. 32
You can assume that by page fifty, these two fuckas are 'in love' with each other, and you'd be right. At least, that's how Rummage wanted it to be.
Laney and Gabe are also the most boring, plain, uninteresting characters I've ever come across. They're so dull, they're made for each other. I can't say anything else about them except if people came in yogurt flavors, they'd be plain. Not even vanilla. Just plain with no sugar. Actually, I can say something about Gabe: EFF YOU FOR THINKING BMWS ARE RIDICULOUS. JUST, EFF YOU YOU.
There's not one character I liked, and I hated Matthew. I hated him.
Now, as for the secret disease that'll 'keep me guessing until the last page'...
S-s-secret? I'm actually giggling as I write this. As soon as their 'disease' was mentioned, I guessed it. Even the cover screams LOOK LOOK LOOK WHAT GABE IS CAN'T YOU SEE? OPEN YOUR EYES! In case you're still in the dark, Gabe is aMy Little Pony
Surprised? I'm sure as hell not.
The writing is bad. I'm sure you've read books that's definitely missing the oomph factor in writing, but here's a single, glorious, sentence...
Suddenly, Laney realized she was hungry.
To end this review, I've asked Gabe and Laney for an interview. Please be aware that even though these sound exactly like the real Gabe and Laney, I can't say it is them because I'll get sued.
à l'action!
Moi: Bonjour! Today we have two guests, Gabe and Laney, from Carole Rummage's new book, REFUGE, which has received criticism for Gabe and Laney's relationship by various reviewers, including myself. We're here to ask them some questions.
Gabe: Good day, y'all.
Laney Hallo.
Moi: I've been wanting to ask - what's one of the biggest things you love about Laney, Gabe, since you both seem very... bland?
Gabe: She sings along to music.
Moi: *frowns slightly* But... don't a lot of people do that? I know I do.
Gabe: Laney does it special.
Moi: "Does it special"?
Gabe: Whateva', Grammar Nazi.
Moi: *eye twitch*
Laney: And I love Gabe because he's, you know, a tortured soul. And he's hot. His eyelashes... they're, like, light on the tips and darker at the ends...
Moi: Snap out of it, stupide.
Laney: How do you say th-
Moi: Enough! Gabe, did you ever find the werewolves that turned you into one of them? Did you even bother to look?
Gabe: Uh... no.
Moi: *disgusted* They're other werewolves! Perhaps you can learn from one of them, even if they turned you into the most unoriginal paranormal creature ever. You should be ashamed.
Laney and Gabe: But-
Moi: I'm done with you. Out, out, I say! *kicks out, then turns to camera* I'm sorry, dear audience, but I cannot deal with people like these.
Finis.
Find this review and more at my blog:
"Hello, and welcome to another episode of Shove Insta-Love! Today, we have a jaw-dropping new world record - by page 21, and less than three conversations, Laney and Gabe are sickeningly and laughably in love with each other. Stay tuned for more groan-inducing interviews and critique!"
REFUGE is, quite frankly, a strange book. A terrible and strange book.
Laney, of course, is an orphan, like most young-adult heroines. She, of course, is absolutely gorgeous and completely unaware of it. Don't forget, she's moved to the tiniest town ever, that just so happens to contain a really hot, dangerous guy, who's keeping a huge secret.
Sound familiar, my friends? The only thing that isn't cliché is that Gabe has a thick Southern accent, one that when reading, made me cringe. I hate reading accents, especially Southern ones. I don't know why.
REFUGE contains the most unrealistic, unhealthy, disgusting case of falling in love I have ever encountered. People do not fall in "love" the way Gabe and Laney did. Gabe meets Laney when he says her from a big, badass bear. In my opinion, the bear should've just eaten her and I wouldn't have to write this review.
That was mean. Sorry.
I have no words to describe this 'relationship' between them after Laney goes home.
According to Laney, they totally clicked and there's electricity and sparklies and omigod it just felt so right and he's so kind - I mean he saved her from a bear because she's a damsel in distress (even though she totally should've brought something since she's going into the motherfucking woods to see wolves alone) but it doesn't matter, why would it, because they're perfect for each other and stalking each other is normal and -
Shut the hell up.
Laney and Gabe basically become obsessed with each other that night, and Laney even goes as far to say she can't afford to fall for him because she already is, pretty much.
These people have known each other for less than three hours, and this bitch is thinking about falling for him. This was where I felt like chucking my Nook at the wall, which I know is an overused statement, but I really, really did. But wait - Gabe is no better, either. In fact, I'd say he's worse. How is that possible, you say? Here's a collection of quotes from these two stalkers (notice the page numbers):
"He'd felt a fierce protectiveness [...] because of her... Gabe, pg. 19
"You have feelings for this girl. Strong feelings." Gabe, pg. 21
"...would only increase his desire to be with her..." Gabe, pg. 22
"Dad, I don't know if I can live without her. I don't even know if I want to." Gabe, pg. 100
The last quote made me want to cry. This is not normal. Gabe has been out with her, I swear, less than six times and he already wants to die if she's not there. Literally.
Don't forget, Laney:
"Just thinking about him made her want to see him again and she groaned. She knew her heart really couldn't take more tragedy now, but he had made her feel so good-" Laney, pg. 21
"She knew the Jeep was his. It fit him." Laney, pg. 28
"She felt like she was whole when she was with him." Laney, pg. 32
You can assume that by page fifty, these two fuckas are 'in love' with each other, and you'd be right. At least, that's how Rummage wanted it to be.
Laney and Gabe are also the most boring, plain, uninteresting characters I've ever come across. They're so dull, they're made for each other. I can't say anything else about them except if people came in yogurt flavors, they'd be plain. Not even vanilla. Just plain with no sugar. Actually, I can say something about Gabe: EFF YOU FOR THINKING BMWS ARE RIDICULOUS. JUST, EFF YOU YOU.
There's not one character I liked, and I hated Matthew. I hated him.
Now, as for the secret disease that'll 'keep me guessing until the last page'...
S-s-secret? I'm actually giggling as I write this. As soon as their 'disease' was mentioned, I guessed it. Even the cover screams LOOK LOOK LOOK WHAT GABE IS CAN'T YOU SEE? OPEN YOUR EYES! In case you're still in the dark, Gabe is a
Surprised? I'm sure as hell not.
The writing is bad. I'm sure you've read books that's definitely missing the oomph factor in writing, but here's a single, glorious, sentence...
Suddenly, Laney realized she was hungry.
To end this review, I've asked Gabe and Laney for an interview. Please be aware that even though these sound exactly like the real Gabe and Laney, I can't say it is them because I'll get sued.
à l'action!
Moi: Bonjour! Today we have two guests, Gabe and Laney, from Carole Rummage's new book, REFUGE, which has received criticism for Gabe and Laney's relationship by various reviewers, including myself. We're here to ask them some questions.
Gabe: Good day, y'all.
Laney Hallo.
Moi: I've been wanting to ask - what's one of the biggest things you love about Laney, Gabe, since you both seem very... bland?
Gabe: She sings along to music.
Moi: *frowns slightly* But... don't a lot of people do that? I know I do.
Gabe: Laney does it special.
Moi: "Does it special"?
Gabe: Whateva', Grammar Nazi.
Moi: *eye twitch*
Laney: And I love Gabe because he's, you know, a tortured soul. And he's hot. His eyelashes... they're, like, light on the tips and darker at the ends...
Moi: Snap out of it, stupide.
Laney: How do you say th-
Moi: Enough! Gabe, did you ever find the werewolves that turned you into one of them? Did you even bother to look?
Gabe: Uh... no.
Moi: *disgusted* They're other werewolves! Perhaps you can learn from one of them, even if they turned you into the most unoriginal paranormal creature ever. You should be ashamed.
Laney and Gabe: But-
Moi: I'm done with you. Out, out, I say! *kicks out, then turns to camera* I'm sorry, dear audience, but I cannot deal with people like these.
Finis.
Find this review and more at my blog:
August 27, 2012
Ok, so I never thought this book would be for me. The only reason I decided to give it a shot was because I was intrigued by the "disease" mentioned in the blurb. My curiosity took over and I dived head first into the story.
Big mistake.
I quickly - after only 1 page - discovered that Refuge is the ultimate incarnation of boring, generic and just downright bad. It's the story of Laney, a typically boring heroine, who lives with her boring aunt and uncle in a boring little town with a tiny population - who are all boring. Naturally Laney is an orphan because the YA genre hates parents. Seriously, I have read only a handful of YA books where both parents are alive and well and caring for the hero/heroine as parents are supposed to do. What is up with that ? If you think a lack of parents - and therefore lack of rules - makes this story any less boring, then you are mistaken. Anyway back to the story. Laney goes walking in the woods. I forgot to mention she's just as stupid as she is boring because she doesn't bring any protection with her whatsoever and so predictably gets attacked by a bear and has to get rescued by Gabe. Obviously Gabe is the love interest, he fits the criteria of the boring love interest perfectly : he bravely saves the poor damsel in distress and happens to be extremely hot. They have an instant connection and spend the next hour spilling out their feelings/ life stories to each other because that's what you do when you meet a stranger in the woods, right ?
Now here is where the "downright bad" I mentioned earlier comes in. Laney and Gabe part and spend the next day and night obsessing over each other. Crazy obsessing. Unhealthy obsessing. Really scary obsessing. All they can think about is their one little meeting in the woods and how "right" it felt. Laney comments on the "electricity between them" how she is in danger of "falling for him". Commence eyeroll. They've known each other for all of an hour and frankly that "electricity" metaphor is the most overused in the whole of YA. Authors really need to find another way of describing attraction but in the case of Refuge, Carole Rummage needs to first actually create attraction before she can begin to describe it. Honestly, this is the fastest case of insta love I've ever read, and the most bizarre. At least the other authors guilty of insta love try to justify it but Laney's excuse for loving Gabe is because of his . . . erm . . . compassion - or something like that. And Gabe's reason for loving Laney is beacuse of her . . . pink hair, I think.
Anyway, the book got so bad, I couldn't continue. If I'm honest, I didn't make it past chapter 4. I no longer care about finding out what the mysterious "disease" is because if it's like the rest of this book, It'll be boring and unoriginal. Excuse me while I abandon ship.
Big mistake.
I quickly - after only 1 page - discovered that Refuge is the ultimate incarnation of boring, generic and just downright bad. It's the story of Laney, a typically boring heroine, who lives with her boring aunt and uncle in a boring little town with a tiny population - who are all boring. Naturally Laney is an orphan because the YA genre hates parents. Seriously, I have read only a handful of YA books where both parents are alive and well and caring for the hero/heroine as parents are supposed to do. What is up with that ? If you think a lack of parents - and therefore lack of rules - makes this story any less boring, then you are mistaken. Anyway back to the story. Laney goes walking in the woods. I forgot to mention she's just as stupid as she is boring because she doesn't bring any protection with her whatsoever and so predictably gets attacked by a bear and has to get rescued by Gabe. Obviously Gabe is the love interest, he fits the criteria of the boring love interest perfectly : he bravely saves the poor damsel in distress and happens to be extremely hot. They have an instant connection and spend the next hour spilling out their feelings/ life stories to each other because that's what you do when you meet a stranger in the woods, right ?
Now here is where the "downright bad" I mentioned earlier comes in. Laney and Gabe part and spend the next day and night obsessing over each other. Crazy obsessing. Unhealthy obsessing. Really scary obsessing. All they can think about is their one little meeting in the woods and how "right" it felt. Laney comments on the "electricity between them" how she is in danger of "falling for him". Commence eyeroll. They've known each other for all of an hour and frankly that "electricity" metaphor is the most overused in the whole of YA. Authors really need to find another way of describing attraction but in the case of Refuge, Carole Rummage needs to first actually create attraction before she can begin to describe it. Honestly, this is the fastest case of insta love I've ever read, and the most bizarre. At least the other authors guilty of insta love try to justify it but Laney's excuse for loving Gabe is because of his . . . erm . . . compassion - or something like that. And Gabe's reason for loving Laney is beacuse of her . . . pink hair, I think.
Anyway, the book got so bad, I couldn't continue. If I'm honest, I didn't make it past chapter 4. I no longer care about finding out what the mysterious "disease" is because if it's like the rest of this book, It'll be boring and unoriginal. Excuse me while I abandon ship.
August 13, 2012
I feel really bad that I couldn't give this book a higher rating, but honestly, I would be lying if I said anything other than I did not like this book at all.
From the summary, I really had no clue what this book was going to be about, and I was curious to learn more about Gabe's "mysterious disease" and this "thrilling romance" that is "full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page." However, after reading the first two chapters, I knew exactly what was going to happen. This story was beyond predictable - from Laney's situation and Gabe's illness to Matthew's role and everyone's fate at the end.
But what kept me from giving it the two-star "okay" rating was the writing, which was simple and non-engaging. And really, I can deal with a cliche, predictable story, but this book failed to capture my interest at all, and the story development actually annoyed me in a number of instances.
First of all, I don't have a big problem with instalove, but in this book, I really did not care for it. The immediate attraction was just glossed over, so I couldn't connect with the characters and why they were so drawn to each other, and then all of a sudden, they are obsessively thinking about each other. And to follow it with "And, the trouble is, if it were only my eyes that might be full of tears, that would be one thing, but she just lost her whole family. She doesn't need any more disasters in her life." While it was poetically beautiful, what kind of teenage boy talks like that? And "Dad, I don't know if I can live without her. I don't know if I even want to…" Pretty serious for someone who's been on one date and hasn't even kissed the girl yet.
And I did not like how this book was just so jammed packed with depressing things - the car accident, Sam being autistic, the Gabe's illness. Just when I thought, "Enough already," something else is thrown at me. It was almost as if Rummage was trying to reach for anything to pull at my heart strings. For me, it didn't really work because I was trying to hard to like the main storyline.
The thing that really bothered me was how the story unfolded, having already guessed where the story was going from the very beginning. It wasn't until near the very end that Laney discovered what was going on. Really? Come on now. To top it all off, it was the way she found out. It wasn't her catching Gabe in the middle of the act or that she had some traumatic event that forces her to confront him. No, she came to the realization on her own while sitting in her room.
Like I said, I don't mind reading a typical book in a certain genre (I don't want to ruin the story so I'll leave it at that). But for this book, it was just TOO predictable, which would have been fine had Rummage not try to drag out the big secret until near the end. The story had potential to be interesting enough. Unfortunately, I just thought the delivery was executed poorly.
From the summary, I really had no clue what this book was going to be about, and I was curious to learn more about Gabe's "mysterious disease" and this "thrilling romance" that is "full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page." However, after reading the first two chapters, I knew exactly what was going to happen. This story was beyond predictable - from Laney's situation and Gabe's illness to Matthew's role and everyone's fate at the end.
But what kept me from giving it the two-star "okay" rating was the writing, which was simple and non-engaging. And really, I can deal with a cliche, predictable story, but this book failed to capture my interest at all, and the story development actually annoyed me in a number of instances.
First of all, I don't have a big problem with instalove, but in this book, I really did not care for it. The immediate attraction was just glossed over, so I couldn't connect with the characters and why they were so drawn to each other, and then all of a sudden, they are obsessively thinking about each other. And to follow it with "And, the trouble is, if it were only my eyes that might be full of tears, that would be one thing, but she just lost her whole family. She doesn't need any more disasters in her life." While it was poetically beautiful, what kind of teenage boy talks like that? And "Dad, I don't know if I can live without her. I don't know if I even want to…" Pretty serious for someone who's been on one date and hasn't even kissed the girl yet.
And I did not like how this book was just so jammed packed with depressing things - the car accident, Sam being autistic, the Gabe's illness. Just when I thought, "Enough already," something else is thrown at me. It was almost as if Rummage was trying to reach for anything to pull at my heart strings. For me, it didn't really work because I was trying to hard to like the main storyline.
The thing that really bothered me was how the story unfolded, having already guessed where the story was going from the very beginning. It wasn't until near the very end that Laney discovered what was going on. Really? Come on now. To top it all off, it was the way she found out. It wasn't her catching Gabe in the middle of the act or that she had some traumatic event that forces her to confront him. No, she came to the realization on her own while sitting in her room.
Like I said, I don't mind reading a typical book in a certain genre (I don't want to ruin the story so I'll leave it at that). But for this book, it was just TOO predictable, which would have been fine had Rummage not try to drag out the big secret until near the end. The story had potential to be interesting enough. Unfortunately, I just thought the delivery was executed poorly.
August 13, 2020
Once upon a time, Laney moved to a new town in The South. In this stereotypical town, everyone talked with a bad accent, watched NASCAR, and went to church. The first thing Laney did was visit the local wildlife refuge, where she promptly got attacked by a bear.
Then bam! The most inhumanly gorgeous boy ever to exist ran in and saved her. Afterward, they shared a short conversation. The boy’s name was Gabe.
Upon arriving back home, Laney had this to say: “She felt like she was whole when she was with him. Like a piece of her had been missing and she’d finally found it.”
Laney and Gabe couldn’t stop thinking about each other. The met up in the woods once or twice, but Gabe had a “secret disease” and couldn’t get too attached.
Enter “bad guy.” The reader knows he’s bad because he called Laney’s aunt by her first name—that’s very rude, you know. He also said this: “I thought I’d get a little pharmacology under my belt, help out the community.” Apparently this is “arrogant.” How dare someone try to be a philanthropist!
Laney went out on a date with a bad guy, but he was bad, so she didn’t like him. She kept thinking about Gabe. He thought about her a lot, too.
Isn’t this a lovely quote? “It’s too late, she thought. I already care too much. I just met him and I can’t stop thinking about him.”
So guess what, now Laney and Gabe were in love!
Does this make sense to you, fellow readers? “Laney knew she was light enough to dance on the water…but the sun was much too high and there was no golden pathway.”
Yeah, I have no idea what that means. But is sounds pretty!
Then Gabe leaves for Laney’s “own good.”
Then, gasp! Laney realizes the truth about Gabe’s “disease.”
Gabe returns and Laney swoons into his waiting arms.
And they all lived happily ever after.
The End.
[Note: If you enjoyed the story I just told, chances are Refuge by Carole Rummage will be the book for you. If you, like me, have better things to do besides read poorly written insta-love paranormal romances heavily “inspired” by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, walk on! Nothing of interest here.]
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Then bam! The most inhumanly gorgeous boy ever to exist ran in and saved her. Afterward, they shared a short conversation. The boy’s name was Gabe.
Upon arriving back home, Laney had this to say: “She felt like she was whole when she was with him. Like a piece of her had been missing and she’d finally found it.”
Laney and Gabe couldn’t stop thinking about each other. The met up in the woods once or twice, but Gabe had a “secret disease” and couldn’t get too attached.
Enter “bad guy.” The reader knows he’s bad because he called Laney’s aunt by her first name—that’s very rude, you know. He also said this: “I thought I’d get a little pharmacology under my belt, help out the community.” Apparently this is “arrogant.” How dare someone try to be a philanthropist!
Laney went out on a date with a bad guy, but he was bad, so she didn’t like him. She kept thinking about Gabe. He thought about her a lot, too.
Isn’t this a lovely quote? “It’s too late, she thought. I already care too much. I just met him and I can’t stop thinking about him.”
So guess what, now Laney and Gabe were in love!
Does this make sense to you, fellow readers? “Laney knew she was light enough to dance on the water…but the sun was much too high and there was no golden pathway.”
Yeah, I have no idea what that means. But is sounds pretty!
Then Gabe leaves for Laney’s “own good.”
Then, gasp! Laney realizes the truth about Gabe’s “disease.”
Gabe returns and Laney swoons into his waiting arms.
And they all lived happily ever after.
The End.
[Note: If you enjoyed the story I just told, chances are Refuge by Carole Rummage will be the book for you. If you, like me, have better things to do besides read poorly written insta-love paranormal romances heavily “inspired” by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, walk on! Nothing of interest here.]
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
March 19, 2015
This book is perfect for the audience it was intended for. If you are an older adult looking for serious romance with an adult couple, then look elsewhere because that is NOT what this book was intended to be. Teenagers experience emotion in an entirely different way, it is a very passionate and intense kind of a feeling that brings with it highs and lows that are extreme. To me, Dark Light Dance portrayed that very well. I have to wonder if some of the reviewers even remember being teenagers themselves. Laney represents the idea of a girl who falls hard for a guy, and has to learn to live with everything that he is, both good and bad. How much more real can you get? And if you think the idea of falling hard for someone instantly is ridiculous, then go talk to a teenage girl- they fall in love EVERYDAY. Its not how the relationship begins that's important, we have potential beginnings for relationships every day of our lives. Its how they learn together and face the challenges that are thrown at them that are important. Now, I have to be honest. I don't like stories like Refuge typically...the "Twilight" genre doesn't really appeal to me. But this book is much more down to earth and portrays a sweet teenage romance with a little twist. Predictable? Yes, probably. But to me that doesn't change the fact that the story is good, the characters enjoyable and like-able and the plot is fun and interesting. The reason I gave it 5 stars is because I feel confident handing it to any teenage girl and knowing she isn't going to be reading garbage. And by Garbage I mean swearing, sex, underage drinking with no consequences, smoking and drugs seen as normal, disrespect for adults that is seen as expected for teenagers, etc, etc etc. Refuge is free of all that and still a great story.
September 6, 2012
Thank you to NetGalley and Sweetwater Books for my copy of Refuge.
I have spent quite a long time trying to think of what to say about Refuge. I liked it. Carole Rummage did not do anything extrodinary, or truly original, but dispite that, Refuge is a good book. I am always nervous going into a book that talks about wolves. I have had irrational fear of the animals since I saw Neverending Story when I was a kid. I never identify when a character is intruiged by them... Like Laney was in this book. I know I would not go out of my way to be somewhere where wolves are known to frequent.
Laney does though. She goes out to a wildlife refuge to think, and be close to her family who had been tragically killed in an accident. It is in that refuge where she meets and befriends a handsome loner named Gabe. They form a friendship, and even though both know that they should not, they keep coming back to the refuge to be together. Their friendship is sweet. Not the falling for someone the moment their eyes meet, and they can't keep their hands off each other kind. But a relationship built on a friendship... Something healthy for once.
One of my favorite characters in the book was Gabe's family's housekeeper Miakoda. She is a wise woman who shares some beautiful truths with Gabe and with Laney. I love the peaceful calm you get reading this book.
So while the premise is not earth shattering, and a bit predictable, don't discount it. It is still a good read.
I have spent quite a long time trying to think of what to say about Refuge. I liked it. Carole Rummage did not do anything extrodinary, or truly original, but dispite that, Refuge is a good book. I am always nervous going into a book that talks about wolves. I have had irrational fear of the animals since I saw Neverending Story when I was a kid. I never identify when a character is intruiged by them... Like Laney was in this book. I know I would not go out of my way to be somewhere where wolves are known to frequent.
Laney does though. She goes out to a wildlife refuge to think, and be close to her family who had been tragically killed in an accident. It is in that refuge where she meets and befriends a handsome loner named Gabe. They form a friendship, and even though both know that they should not, they keep coming back to the refuge to be together. Their friendship is sweet. Not the falling for someone the moment their eyes meet, and they can't keep their hands off each other kind. But a relationship built on a friendship... Something healthy for once.
One of my favorite characters in the book was Gabe's family's housekeeper Miakoda. She is a wise woman who shares some beautiful truths with Gabe and with Laney. I love the peaceful calm you get reading this book.
So while the premise is not earth shattering, and a bit predictable, don't discount it. It is still a good read.
October 5, 2012
This is going to be one of those reviews that proves difficult for me to articulate, but I'm going to give it my best shot in the hopes that it establishes how I consider the work I'm writing about.
I feel a tremendous sense of heaviness when reviewing Carole Rummage's "Refuge", and the reason might surprise some of you. No, it's not because I've had my fill of YA paranormal romances - I'm actually a little more forgiving considering it's a popular genre and I know there are going to be a lot of writers who may take on similar themes, but attempt to put their own stamp on it. What I usually look for in any genre are those stories that captivate me even if it might follow a common troupe or set of themes. Sure, there might be books that take on a story about a girl falling in love with vampire/werewolf/shapeshifter/insert paranormal character of choice, but the questions that I usually ask are: how well you can pull me into the narrative, how developed are your characters, and how well do you make the world and work your own?
Probably the strongest part of "Refuge" in terms of its intimacy/uniqueness was the attention given to the overarching setting - and I actually liked that part of it. It's set in Columbia, North Carolina - a small town located towards the northeast part of the state, and there are references through the work that make this very much a North Carolina novel - attention given even to the universities like UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State, and Duke, among other elements. And given that the author's from NC, I understood wanting to establish that sense of place, and I commend the work for that because there are some authors who don't even take the time to make sure those details are accurate and have meaning to the context of the overarching story told.
That said, for everything else provided with "Refuge" - it's your run of the mill YA paranormal romance novel, complete with instalove and an overfocus on the romantic inclinations between the characters. I would've rather seen the kind of intimacy noted with the place in this novel applied with the characterization and the overarching story, but alas, that wasn't to be. That's what disappointed me, because with such attention taken to the place, I ask why more wasn't done to make the other elements less...obvious?
The story toggles between the perspectives of Laney, a young woman who has lost her family and goes to live with her aunt and uncle after a horrible accident, and Gabe, an outcast youth branded by his "illness" and questionable history. Laney struggles to adjust to her surroundings and meets Gabe, where both seem to hit it off rather quickly (and might I add a little too quickly for development's sake). The story henceforth tells of (not so much shows) their attraction to each other and conflicts in terms of their relationships. I was fairly underwelmed by the story because it follows many of the same templates of titles in this genre: girl meets boy, they fall in love, girl encounters other boy who vies for affections and girl figures out he's a jerk, boy has questionable past and secret (when the secret's obviously leaning towards the paranormal), something terrible happens and it's blamed on the boy's family, the truth comes out and things work out between girl and boy.
Seriously, it's that straightforward, no derivation whatsoever. I wish I could say that the characters brought something to the table that made it more than that, but they're fairly generic versus ceding to more intimate and unique developments. I never understood why the author chose to keep Gabe's "illness" a secret for so long, and worse yet, have a platform where Gabe was defined by his illness in the eyes of many of the community members. At one point, and this left me fairly incensed - one of the characters - Matthew tells Laney to stay away from Gabe's family because - and this is a direct quote - "For one thing, they're sick. Some nasty disease, maybe HIV. I don't know." And he's an aspiring doctor.
I was fairly incensed with Matthew's character in general, and he's obviously set up to be the "bad guy" in this story, but I didn't like the attributions made to illness in that context. People are not defined by their illnesses and I think more could've been done to knock that idea down, though Laney does recognize in the context of the story that Matthew has a skewed view of illness in general.
I think to wrap this review on an overall note: this story had elements where it could've easily taken itself out of the familiar and become more, but it's fairly cliche and doesn't do much to expand upon its particular genre, and I think that was the story's greatest weakness in the end. I was rather disappointed with it.
Overall score: 1.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Cedar Fort.
I feel a tremendous sense of heaviness when reviewing Carole Rummage's "Refuge", and the reason might surprise some of you. No, it's not because I've had my fill of YA paranormal romances - I'm actually a little more forgiving considering it's a popular genre and I know there are going to be a lot of writers who may take on similar themes, but attempt to put their own stamp on it. What I usually look for in any genre are those stories that captivate me even if it might follow a common troupe or set of themes. Sure, there might be books that take on a story about a girl falling in love with vampire/werewolf/shapeshifter/insert paranormal character of choice, but the questions that I usually ask are: how well you can pull me into the narrative, how developed are your characters, and how well do you make the world and work your own?
Probably the strongest part of "Refuge" in terms of its intimacy/uniqueness was the attention given to the overarching setting - and I actually liked that part of it. It's set in Columbia, North Carolina - a small town located towards the northeast part of the state, and there are references through the work that make this very much a North Carolina novel - attention given even to the universities like UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State, and Duke, among other elements. And given that the author's from NC, I understood wanting to establish that sense of place, and I commend the work for that because there are some authors who don't even take the time to make sure those details are accurate and have meaning to the context of the overarching story told.
That said, for everything else provided with "Refuge" - it's your run of the mill YA paranormal romance novel, complete with instalove and an overfocus on the romantic inclinations between the characters. I would've rather seen the kind of intimacy noted with the place in this novel applied with the characterization and the overarching story, but alas, that wasn't to be. That's what disappointed me, because with such attention taken to the place, I ask why more wasn't done to make the other elements less...obvious?
The story toggles between the perspectives of Laney, a young woman who has lost her family and goes to live with her aunt and uncle after a horrible accident, and Gabe, an outcast youth branded by his "illness" and questionable history. Laney struggles to adjust to her surroundings and meets Gabe, where both seem to hit it off rather quickly (and might I add a little too quickly for development's sake). The story henceforth tells of (not so much shows) their attraction to each other and conflicts in terms of their relationships. I was fairly underwelmed by the story because it follows many of the same templates of titles in this genre: girl meets boy, they fall in love, girl encounters other boy who vies for affections and girl figures out he's a jerk, boy has questionable past and secret (when the secret's obviously leaning towards the paranormal), something terrible happens and it's blamed on the boy's family, the truth comes out and things work out between girl and boy.
Seriously, it's that straightforward, no derivation whatsoever. I wish I could say that the characters brought something to the table that made it more than that, but they're fairly generic versus ceding to more intimate and unique developments. I never understood why the author chose to keep Gabe's "illness" a secret for so long, and worse yet, have a platform where Gabe was defined by his illness in the eyes of many of the community members. At one point, and this left me fairly incensed - one of the characters - Matthew tells Laney to stay away from Gabe's family because - and this is a direct quote - "For one thing, they're sick. Some nasty disease, maybe HIV. I don't know." And he's an aspiring doctor.
I was fairly incensed with Matthew's character in general, and he's obviously set up to be the "bad guy" in this story, but I didn't like the attributions made to illness in that context. People are not defined by their illnesses and I think more could've been done to knock that idea down, though Laney does recognize in the context of the story that Matthew has a skewed view of illness in general.
I think to wrap this review on an overall note: this story had elements where it could've easily taken itself out of the familiar and become more, but it's fairly cliche and doesn't do much to expand upon its particular genre, and I think that was the story's greatest weakness in the end. I was rather disappointed with it.
Overall score: 1.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Cedar Fort.
October 24, 2012
The original review can be found here: http://www.yourentertainmentcorner.co....
Refuge can be used as a lesson on what not to do in Novel Writing 101. The plot is weak (if I can even say there is one), the characters are two-dimensional, and the writing is mediocre. Rummage does a lot to describe the area in the South where the story takes place, but there is nothing to grab the reader’s attention to make them want to continue reading. I didn’t care about the characters. I thought I’d quit at the halfway point but figured I was almost done and needed to just push through. I should have quit.
Observations:
There is the requisite YA drivel—guy meets girl, guy and girl fall instantly in love, guy has a secret which will keep him from being with girl. All that is fine and to be expected, but Rummage does nothing to make this experience different, especially with the ending being so abrupt and unfulfilling. I’ve read this type of novel before and it’s been done much better.
The insta-love is done quicker than two-minute grits. I mean, Laney meets Gabe, spends an hour or two with him and boom! they are in love. I don’t see why or get the pull between the two characters to justify the constant mooning over one other. These two are the most boring protagonists I’ve come across. Yes, Laney is gorgeous (but doesn’t know it), is suffering a major loss in life and doesn’t believe there’s any more happiness in the world for her. Gabe is gorgeous—muscular, great eyes, hair, with a Southern accent to add on that extra sweetness—but doesn’t fit in with anyone, and has an ominous illness lurking in the background. You can figure out Gabe’s secret “illness” after meeting him (it’s not that much of a secret, by the way). I don’t know why Laney doesn’t figure it out until the end of the book. Her character’s revelation was frustrating and unsatisfying.
The characters seem detached. Gabe and Laney are teenagers, but neither of them speaks nor acts like such. I think Rummage needed to do major research in this area because her teenage voice is that of an adult.
The characters repeat things. A lot. A. Lot. It’s almost as if Rummage thinks we’ve forgotten what anyone’s said. I didn’t forget; I couldn’t forget because it was repeated repeatedly! This annoyed me and made me want to stop reading.
The story isn’t a difficult read. It’s just blah. The bit of action we’re given isn’t action at all. Rather, it’s a mystery of where did the resident douche bag go and who’s responsible for his disappearance. Considering no one cared enough about Matthew to miss him, I’d say that’s not enough of a climax to warrant this novel having a plot.
Gabe and Laney are so compatible it’s sickening. Everything she does, he does too. And I mean everything. I understand wanting characters to have things in common, but everything? Ok, so Gabe is an artist and Laney is a gymnast/pianist. I’d still put that under them having similar activities that they’re good at. At any rate, it got on my nerves and made me question how realistic the protagonists were supposed to be.
Refuge takes place in the South (don’t ask me where because I can’t remember), yet I don’t believe it. Laney’s uncle says “Bless your heart” and Gabe calls her “Darlin’” and just about every word that ends in “g” is pronounced without one. That does not a southern dialogue make. I felt a little cheated with respect to ambiance. Setting the tone for a scene with accurate sayings, actions and background is paramount to achieving the desired effect. One more thing Refuge fails to do.
This reads like a first draft rather than a well thought out, edited novel. The blurb on the inside cover is better than the book itself. If Rummage wants us to see ourselves in this world, she has to make it believable. Not one thing that occurs in Refuge is realistic. Also, the book is borderline depressing but I think that is one component prevalent in some of the more recent YA novels I’ve read. You know, to make your book as sad as possible to keep readers invested. It doesn’t work this time. I do not recommend this book to anyone. It needs a serious rewrite.
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley through the publisher Cedar Fort for an honest review.
Refuge can be used as a lesson on what not to do in Novel Writing 101. The plot is weak (if I can even say there is one), the characters are two-dimensional, and the writing is mediocre. Rummage does a lot to describe the area in the South where the story takes place, but there is nothing to grab the reader’s attention to make them want to continue reading. I didn’t care about the characters. I thought I’d quit at the halfway point but figured I was almost done and needed to just push through. I should have quit.
Observations:
There is the requisite YA drivel—guy meets girl, guy and girl fall instantly in love, guy has a secret which will keep him from being with girl. All that is fine and to be expected, but Rummage does nothing to make this experience different, especially with the ending being so abrupt and unfulfilling. I’ve read this type of novel before and it’s been done much better.
The insta-love is done quicker than two-minute grits. I mean, Laney meets Gabe, spends an hour or two with him and boom! they are in love. I don’t see why or get the pull between the two characters to justify the constant mooning over one other. These two are the most boring protagonists I’ve come across. Yes, Laney is gorgeous (but doesn’t know it), is suffering a major loss in life and doesn’t believe there’s any more happiness in the world for her. Gabe is gorgeous—muscular, great eyes, hair, with a Southern accent to add on that extra sweetness—but doesn’t fit in with anyone, and has an ominous illness lurking in the background. You can figure out Gabe’s secret “illness” after meeting him (it’s not that much of a secret, by the way). I don’t know why Laney doesn’t figure it out until the end of the book. Her character’s revelation was frustrating and unsatisfying.
The characters seem detached. Gabe and Laney are teenagers, but neither of them speaks nor acts like such. I think Rummage needed to do major research in this area because her teenage voice is that of an adult.
The characters repeat things. A lot. A. Lot. It’s almost as if Rummage thinks we’ve forgotten what anyone’s said. I didn’t forget; I couldn’t forget because it was repeated repeatedly! This annoyed me and made me want to stop reading.
The story isn’t a difficult read. It’s just blah. The bit of action we’re given isn’t action at all. Rather, it’s a mystery of where did the resident douche bag go and who’s responsible for his disappearance. Considering no one cared enough about Matthew to miss him, I’d say that’s not enough of a climax to warrant this novel having a plot.
Gabe and Laney are so compatible it’s sickening. Everything she does, he does too. And I mean everything. I understand wanting characters to have things in common, but everything? Ok, so Gabe is an artist and Laney is a gymnast/pianist. I’d still put that under them having similar activities that they’re good at. At any rate, it got on my nerves and made me question how realistic the protagonists were supposed to be.
Refuge takes place in the South (don’t ask me where because I can’t remember), yet I don’t believe it. Laney’s uncle says “Bless your heart” and Gabe calls her “Darlin’” and just about every word that ends in “g” is pronounced without one. That does not a southern dialogue make. I felt a little cheated with respect to ambiance. Setting the tone for a scene with accurate sayings, actions and background is paramount to achieving the desired effect. One more thing Refuge fails to do.
This reads like a first draft rather than a well thought out, edited novel. The blurb on the inside cover is better than the book itself. If Rummage wants us to see ourselves in this world, she has to make it believable. Not one thing that occurs in Refuge is realistic. Also, the book is borderline depressing but I think that is one component prevalent in some of the more recent YA novels I’ve read. You know, to make your book as sad as possible to keep readers invested. It doesn’t work this time. I do not recommend this book to anyone. It needs a serious rewrite.
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley through the publisher Cedar Fort for an honest review.
November 10, 2012
This book is totally adorable and full of southern charm!
It is so refreshing to read a romance written for young adults that is actually appropriate for young adults! I just turned it over to my 13 year old to read and I know she will love it. This fact alone caused me to change my rating from four stars to five.
In response to some negative reviews claiming they didn't like the book because of what is referred to as "insta-love"- I know from experience that this kind of attraction and "love at first sight" actually does exist. I met my husband when I was only 17 and was instantly drawn to him in a way I had never felt before. We have been together for over 20 years and I still feel that same connection every time I look at him.
Refuge is a sweet story with an equally sweet ending. I really enjoyed it and look forward to finding out where Gabe and Lainey's story goes next.
It is so refreshing to read a romance written for young adults that is actually appropriate for young adults! I just turned it over to my 13 year old to read and I know she will love it. This fact alone caused me to change my rating from four stars to five.
In response to some negative reviews claiming they didn't like the book because of what is referred to as "insta-love"- I know from experience that this kind of attraction and "love at first sight" actually does exist. I met my husband when I was only 17 and was instantly drawn to him in a way I had never felt before. We have been together for over 20 years and I still feel that same connection every time I look at him.
Refuge is a sweet story with an equally sweet ending. I really enjoyed it and look forward to finding out where Gabe and Lainey's story goes next.
December 5, 2012
A fantastic southern read! Charming characters discover mystery and love in a truly southern setting without the smut that sneaks up on you in other romance reads. Would make a great gift for paranormal romance lovers of any age.
And to those who don't believe in "insta-love" I feel sorry for you. It does exist and it's an amazing thing. Especially if you have the guts to see it through to old age. My husband and I fell in love the day we met and haven't looked back since.
Long live Laney and Gabe and their insta-love :) Great debut novel from a great author! CHEERS!
And to those who don't believe in "insta-love" I feel sorry for you. It does exist and it's an amazing thing. Especially if you have the guts to see it through to old age. My husband and I fell in love the day we met and haven't looked back since.
Long live Laney and Gabe and their insta-love :) Great debut novel from a great author! CHEERS!
September 29, 2012
17-year-old Laney Lowell has lost everything. During the national gymnastic qualifications meet, her world flips after learning her family has died in a car accident. As she moves from Salt Lake City, Utah to Columbia, North Carolina, Laney tries to move forward with an aunt and uncle whom she barley knows. It's her memories of the outdoors with her family that pulls her to the Refuge, a wildlife preserve where she meets Gabe Randall, who’s rumored to be infected with a serious disease. Ignoring warnings Laney can’t help but fall in love with him, finding light in her world of dark grieving. As she gets closer to discovering his secret, their love will be put to a test she can’t prepare for.
I loved the cover of the book and the premise of the story, but after reading it I personally found it a bit of a disappointment. It gave me the impression it had potential as an adult crossover, but this is not the case. After researching the publishing company Cedar Fort, it made more sense. I appreciate that a religious publisher can publish a book that’s not consumed with religious themes. I felt that faith had an appearance in the book but it didn’t take over, which I enjoyed. However, Laney’s story isn’t anything new and I guessed at the ‘twist’ right from the first chapter.
Regardless, this book is full of love and secrets. I’d recommend this book for younger readers, around the ages of 12+. It’s a YA on a younger scale and for that I think Rummage did a wonderful job. She covers good values, has easy to relate to characters and describes a beautiful setting with some slight mystery and suspense. It’s well written for its market that has the opportunity for religious and non-religious exposure. For young readers that are looking to read something full of heart, Refuge is a great start.
Want to win a copy? Cedar Fort is doing a giveaway on Goodreads! US only, contest ends November 12, 2012.
Cedar Fort gave this book as an ARC for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and Carole Rummage!
I loved the cover of the book and the premise of the story, but after reading it I personally found it a bit of a disappointment. It gave me the impression it had potential as an adult crossover, but this is not the case. After researching the publishing company Cedar Fort, it made more sense. I appreciate that a religious publisher can publish a book that’s not consumed with religious themes. I felt that faith had an appearance in the book but it didn’t take over, which I enjoyed. However, Laney’s story isn’t anything new and I guessed at the ‘twist’ right from the first chapter.
Regardless, this book is full of love and secrets. I’d recommend this book for younger readers, around the ages of 12+. It’s a YA on a younger scale and for that I think Rummage did a wonderful job. She covers good values, has easy to relate to characters and describes a beautiful setting with some slight mystery and suspense. It’s well written for its market that has the opportunity for religious and non-religious exposure. For young readers that are looking to read something full of heart, Refuge is a great start.
Want to win a copy? Cedar Fort is doing a giveaway on Goodreads! US only, contest ends November 12, 2012.
Cedar Fort gave this book as an ARC for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and Carole Rummage!
February 4, 2013
4 STARS
I looked at some of the early reviews before I started reading Refuge. I agree with some of them about somethings. Yes I guessed
at somethings that were going to happen. Yes the big mystery part was not really a mystery. But others I totally disagree!
I never saw it billed as a mystery. I would say it is more a romance character YA driven story. I connected with the characters a little too much. I cried in too many places. I like Laney.
she has gone through so much all at once. I like her Aunt & Uncle. Her Aunt took more time for me too warm up to her.
Most relationships build over time some quicker than others.
I don't know if I would go back to the Refuge like Laney does after her first experience there. The Refuge is a animal refuge area they have red wolves and bears. Her first time there Laney is rescued by Gabe. Gabe is newer to the area too. He is a artist and paints animals. His paintings already hang in some galleries. Gabe also has some work that is commissioned.
Gabe spends a lot of time painting the wild life at the Refuge. Gabe keeps secrets about himself. Laney & Gabe have a lot in common and talk to each other since they first met.
Matthew is a collage student. He wants to be a Doctor someday and make a lot of money. Matthew's mom is Laney's Aunt Helen best friend. She is always encouraging Laney to go out with Matthew more. Inviting him over to meet Laney.
This is a sweet story. Has some good lessons. I hated to put the book down to go answer the door or phone. I look forward to reading more from Carole Rummage in the future.
I was given this ebook and asked to give honest review of it when I finshed by Netgalley.
Published November 13th 2012 by Cedar Fort Inc Sweetwater Imprint 240 pages ISBN:1462110363
I looked at some of the early reviews before I started reading Refuge. I agree with some of them about somethings. Yes I guessed
at somethings that were going to happen. Yes the big mystery part was not really a mystery. But others I totally disagree!
I never saw it billed as a mystery. I would say it is more a romance character YA driven story. I connected with the characters a little too much. I cried in too many places. I like Laney.
she has gone through so much all at once. I like her Aunt & Uncle. Her Aunt took more time for me too warm up to her.
Most relationships build over time some quicker than others.
I don't know if I would go back to the Refuge like Laney does after her first experience there. The Refuge is a animal refuge area they have red wolves and bears. Her first time there Laney is rescued by Gabe. Gabe is newer to the area too. He is a artist and paints animals. His paintings already hang in some galleries. Gabe also has some work that is commissioned.
Gabe spends a lot of time painting the wild life at the Refuge. Gabe keeps secrets about himself. Laney & Gabe have a lot in common and talk to each other since they first met.
Matthew is a collage student. He wants to be a Doctor someday and make a lot of money. Matthew's mom is Laney's Aunt Helen best friend. She is always encouraging Laney to go out with Matthew more. Inviting him over to meet Laney.
This is a sweet story. Has some good lessons. I hated to put the book down to go answer the door or phone. I look forward to reading more from Carole Rummage in the future.
I was given this ebook and asked to give honest review of it when I finshed by Netgalley.
Published November 13th 2012 by Cedar Fort Inc Sweetwater Imprint 240 pages ISBN:1462110363
December 4, 2012
I love to read for the pure joy of reading. This book did not dissappoint. Makes me want to visit Columbia NC and go see the Lost Colony. Fell in love with Laney and Gabe, but my favorite character is Miakoda. I love her little nuggets of wisdom. Great read!!!
July 23, 2013
A sweet and fun story. a clean romance with plenty of mystery. Great for teenage girls.
September 1, 2012
I received this book from the Publisher for my honest review.
This book starts out with a young girl, Laney who lost her entire family in one fell swoop to an auto-accident. She moves in with her aunt and uncle and takes refuge from her life in the animal refuge center. There she meets a young man, Gabe. She is warned against him by her uncle because Gabe has a “disease” which he must go away for a few days each month for treatment. It is very clear to you, the reader, from a very early part what his “disease” truly is. But we go through the entire book with blinders on because he never actually tells her what his disease is. There is a bit of a mystery in the book, when a boy gets murdered and Gabe and his brother are suspected. I won’t go into more details of the storyline itself so not to spoil it for readers.
What I will say is the romance between Gabe and Laney is fast, almost instantaneous they are in love. They had only three conversations and they are intensely can’t live without you, nauseatingly in love and all this by page 21. The characters lack a bit of chemistry for me. Some of their responses don’t fit what you expect from them, since they just met and are teenagers I’ll go with the okay I just saw a hot boy and I’m in love. But really, to the point where you can’t do anything but think about him?
The back stories are a bit depressing; first we have Laney who lost her parents and brother while at a gymnastics meet. Then we have her deceased brother who is autistic. Add in Gabe’s “disease” and well one more thing I was about to scream, and then poof there it was in the Aunt and Uncle’s past. *sigh* Every time I think oh gosh it can’t get any worse something else is thrown at me. At times I thought there was just way too much negativity going into this book. I seriously think the Author tried too hard to tug at the heart strings.
I did like the relationship between Laney and her Aunt and Uncle and how it progressed and grew with the story. That I can say is one thing the Author did correctly.
The other good thing is that the Author uses terminology appropriate for the age group she is gearing this book towards. I found it an interesting and quick read and one that I enjoyed perhaps not completely. I do like how the Author added questions at the end of the book for discussions. This is a good feature for schools and book clubs.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a little romance in with a paranormal mystery story. But mostly this is a teen book. Not a ton of draw for adults, but a good quick read for a teenager who has to read for school.
This book starts out with a young girl, Laney who lost her entire family in one fell swoop to an auto-accident. She moves in with her aunt and uncle and takes refuge from her life in the animal refuge center. There she meets a young man, Gabe. She is warned against him by her uncle because Gabe has a “disease” which he must go away for a few days each month for treatment. It is very clear to you, the reader, from a very early part what his “disease” truly is. But we go through the entire book with blinders on because he never actually tells her what his disease is. There is a bit of a mystery in the book, when a boy gets murdered and Gabe and his brother are suspected. I won’t go into more details of the storyline itself so not to spoil it for readers.
What I will say is the romance between Gabe and Laney is fast, almost instantaneous they are in love. They had only three conversations and they are intensely can’t live without you, nauseatingly in love and all this by page 21. The characters lack a bit of chemistry for me. Some of their responses don’t fit what you expect from them, since they just met and are teenagers I’ll go with the okay I just saw a hot boy and I’m in love. But really, to the point where you can’t do anything but think about him?
The back stories are a bit depressing; first we have Laney who lost her parents and brother while at a gymnastics meet. Then we have her deceased brother who is autistic. Add in Gabe’s “disease” and well one more thing I was about to scream, and then poof there it was in the Aunt and Uncle’s past. *sigh* Every time I think oh gosh it can’t get any worse something else is thrown at me. At times I thought there was just way too much negativity going into this book. I seriously think the Author tried too hard to tug at the heart strings.
I did like the relationship between Laney and her Aunt and Uncle and how it progressed and grew with the story. That I can say is one thing the Author did correctly.
The other good thing is that the Author uses terminology appropriate for the age group she is gearing this book towards. I found it an interesting and quick read and one that I enjoyed perhaps not completely. I do like how the Author added questions at the end of the book for discussions. This is a good feature for schools and book clubs.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a little romance in with a paranormal mystery story. But mostly this is a teen book. Not a ton of draw for adults, but a good quick read for a teenager who has to read for school.
December 4, 2013
The gorgeous golden cover was just irresistible that I had to request it off NetGalley. Refuge is straight out YA romance with a touch of the paranormal. There is that instant love moment, the denial & realisation followed by a little trouble in paradise prior to the conclusion. It seems to follow the usual romantic formula with not much else.
I’m romantic enough to tolerate the ‘instant love’ bit but I don’t think the characters put that much effort in denying what they feel, no matter what they are actually saying, it felt that they just gave in way too easily. I think it’s great that you can feel a connection with someone at the first meeting and I do believe this kind of thing do happen in real life.
“…When I love everything, I fell apart. But it’s as if our jagged edges somehow fit together and they unbelievably, incredibly, somehow make both of us whole. Two people with so many broken parts, but together we’re better – stronger than we are apart.”
The writing itself I can appreciate. I like the way grief was handled (somehow, the last few books I’ve read got something to do with grief?!?) – it was described so well, I could feel the devastation and my heart was broken for Laney. There really isn’t much else to talk about as there isn’t anything else in this book. There was a potential mystery but that’s all it is, potential.
The paranormal side of things also weren’t explored to its full potential. I know what type of paranormal and a little bit of how things become so but that’s about it. There were no further aspects of the paranormal expounded. I understand this is the first book of a series however it seems either to be very very slow going or only meant to be mostly romance with a very slight touch of the paranormal.
Overall, a tad disappointing and predictable… If you’re looking for a brain-fluff (ie. no thinking required) feel good kind of read, this may fit the bill. Psst, if you're a fan of The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater, you may like this too
Thank you Cedar Fort Inc. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review
I’m romantic enough to tolerate the ‘instant love’ bit but I don’t think the characters put that much effort in denying what they feel, no matter what they are actually saying, it felt that they just gave in way too easily. I think it’s great that you can feel a connection with someone at the first meeting and I do believe this kind of thing do happen in real life.
“…When I love everything, I fell apart. But it’s as if our jagged edges somehow fit together and they unbelievably, incredibly, somehow make both of us whole. Two people with so many broken parts, but together we’re better – stronger than we are apart.”
The writing itself I can appreciate. I like the way grief was handled (somehow, the last few books I’ve read got something to do with grief?!?) – it was described so well, I could feel the devastation and my heart was broken for Laney. There really isn’t much else to talk about as there isn’t anything else in this book. There was a potential mystery but that’s all it is, potential.
The paranormal side of things also weren’t explored to its full potential. I know what type of paranormal and a little bit of how things become so but that’s about it. There were no further aspects of the paranormal expounded. I understand this is the first book of a series however it seems either to be very very slow going or only meant to be mostly romance with a very slight touch of the paranormal.
Overall, a tad disappointing and predictable… If you’re looking for a brain-fluff (ie. no thinking required) feel good kind of read, this may fit the bill. Psst, if you're a fan of The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater, you may like this too
Thank you Cedar Fort Inc. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review
November 25, 2012
This review first appeared @ Moosubi Reviews!
Let me start off with a GIF explaining what I apparently looked like when I was reading this book...
Honestly, I would have gave up on this book if it weren't for the challenge I was participating in, and the fact that I received an ARC from the publisher. From the beginning, I could tell that this book would not be for me.
There were little things in the book that I just couldn’t understand. There’s parts in the book where the main character Laney is “forced” to go on dates with Matthew, who apparently is an overpretentious non-love interest. Couldn’t she just refuse to go with him and stay in the house? She was clearly not interested in him, but she still went out with him. There’s also another scene where Matthew sees her at a store and offers a ride, and Laney freaking takes it. It just seemed like the author was setting up her actions and for the plot to go to an unrealistic amount of drama.
Of course there’s the insta-love with Gabe. Well, that and the fact that the plot was completely predictable. There’s the mysterious-hot-paranormal-related guy (although he says “I can’t be with you cause I’m dangerous!”), and the beautiful girl who also happens to be shy. Maybe some readers would enjoy the plot more than I did, but I’m sick of it >__<
Other than that, there weren’t really any redeemable characteristics. The characters weren’t anything special, and there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of emotion. Here are some things that I found some irks with...
~ "I'll follow you home" (emphasis added, but "followed" really bothered me...
~ After Gabe tells Laney that he's too dangerous, two seconds later it seems like everything is forgotten when they're together...
~ Laney changes herself and her hair color because Matthew told her she looked "wild". Couldn't she just ignore him, like she said she would?!
Source: eARC received through NetGalley
Let me start off with a GIF explaining what I apparently looked like when I was reading this book...
Honestly, I would have gave up on this book if it weren't for the challenge I was participating in, and the fact that I received an ARC from the publisher. From the beginning, I could tell that this book would not be for me.
There were little things in the book that I just couldn’t understand. There’s parts in the book where the main character Laney is “forced” to go on dates with Matthew, who apparently is an overpretentious non-love interest. Couldn’t she just refuse to go with him and stay in the house? She was clearly not interested in him, but she still went out with him. There’s also another scene where Matthew sees her at a store and offers a ride, and Laney freaking takes it. It just seemed like the author was setting up her actions and for the plot to go to an unrealistic amount of drama.
Of course there’s the insta-love with Gabe. Well, that and the fact that the plot was completely predictable. There’s the mysterious-hot-paranormal-related guy (although he says “I can’t be with you cause I’m dangerous!”), and the beautiful girl who also happens to be shy. Maybe some readers would enjoy the plot more than I did, but I’m sick of it >__<
Other than that, there weren’t really any redeemable characteristics. The characters weren’t anything special, and there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of emotion. Here are some things that I found some irks with...
~ "I'll follow you home" (emphasis added, but "followed" really bothered me...
~ After Gabe tells Laney that he's too dangerous, two seconds later it seems like everything is forgotten when they're together...
~ Laney changes herself and her hair color because Matthew told her she looked "wild". Couldn't she just ignore him, like she said she would?!
Source: eARC received through NetGalley
September 22, 2012
I've received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley.
Wow. That's all I had to say after finishing this book.
The beginning was heartbreaking. Laney's parents and her brother died in a car crash while trying to get to her gymnastics meet, so she lives with her uncle and aunt now. She later meets Gabe for the first time when he saves her from a wild bear out at the refuge. They talk and both soon find themselves falling in love. Laney then finds out that he has a disease, but she doesn't care, she loved him already. But Laney never actually found out what the disease was and after a while, she still didn't know what it was. Her aunt then urges her to go on a date with this obnoxious jerk named Matthew Purser, so she does, and even though Mathew projects the image of success, he isn't a good person, and near the end, something unexpected happens that breaks Laney's heart again! Don't worry though, there IS a happily ever after!
Ok. Let's stop right here so I can tell you something that I didn't like about this book. So, true love at first sight? That's nice, but I don't believe in that. She talked to him for probably an hour and she's already in love? Let's get real. Or not. It's just a book.But the good things that I loved were the moments when Gabe was so caring and protective of Laney. He sounds like the perfect boyfriend. They are so lovey dovey together and you can tell they really love each other. The author also mentioned Harry Potter, which is a plus. Let's all bow down to our queen, J.K Rowling! Lol(:
Overall, this was a great book from a first time author, but it's a bit too cheesy for me. If you love overly romantic books and a bit of mystery and suspense, than this is a great read for you! Unfortunately, I'm not really into this type of romance so I'll only give this book 3.5 stars.
Wow. That's all I had to say after finishing this book.
The beginning was heartbreaking. Laney's parents and her brother died in a car crash while trying to get to her gymnastics meet, so she lives with her uncle and aunt now. She later meets Gabe for the first time when he saves her from a wild bear out at the refuge. They talk and both soon find themselves falling in love. Laney then finds out that he has a disease, but she doesn't care, she loved him already. But Laney never actually found out what the disease was and after a while, she still didn't know what it was. Her aunt then urges her to go on a date with this obnoxious jerk named Matthew Purser, so she does, and even though Mathew projects the image of success, he isn't a good person, and near the end, something unexpected happens that breaks Laney's heart again! Don't worry though, there IS a happily ever after!
Ok. Let's stop right here so I can tell you something that I didn't like about this book. So, true love at first sight? That's nice, but I don't believe in that. She talked to him for probably an hour and she's already in love? Let's get real. Or not. It's just a book.But the good things that I loved were the moments when Gabe was so caring and protective of Laney. He sounds like the perfect boyfriend. They are so lovey dovey together and you can tell they really love each other. The author also mentioned Harry Potter, which is a plus. Let's all bow down to our queen, J.K Rowling! Lol(:
Overall, this was a great book from a first time author, but it's a bit too cheesy for me. If you love overly romantic books and a bit of mystery and suspense, than this is a great read for you! Unfortunately, I'm not really into this type of romance so I'll only give this book 3.5 stars.
October 15, 2012
See the full review at Short & Sweet Reviews.
In introducing this book, and all you really need to know about it, allow me to adapt a quote from a great cultural philosopher from the year 2012:
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but I'm in love with you and am already talking seriously about marriage after only a few weeks, so call me, maybe (PS we're still in high school and you have a secret life-changing disease).
Yup. Laney, new in town after a family tragedy, meets Gabe, a sensitive, mysterious artist, and instantly knows that she wants to be with him. Because he's handsome, and likes animals, and has his own tragic past, and is nice to her. They go from complete strangers to Made For Each Other in pretty much zero seconds flat. Fortunately, their romance is cute and flirty, with the two taking the time to actually get to know each other, past baggage included... except for Gabe's illness, which he refuses to tell Laney anything specific about.
Do you want to know how long it took the big reveal to happen? According to the progress bar on my Kindle, I was 88% finished before Laney finally figured out Gabe's big secret. 88%! That is way too long to keep someone hanging on your books only mystery, especially when it's revealed in a pretty un-dramatic (in my opinion) fashion. Laney's reaction to the reveal is also pretty unrealistic, albeit expected. It took significantly less time than that for me to figure it out. The foreshadowing in this book is off the charts with how heavy-handed it is. The plot and subplots are pretty predictable, and the main (external) source of conflict is super obvious from almost the instant he's on the page.
In introducing this book, and all you really need to know about it, allow me to adapt a quote from a great cultural philosopher from the year 2012:
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but I'm in love with you and am already talking seriously about marriage after only a few weeks, so call me, maybe (PS we're still in high school and you have a secret life-changing disease).
Yup. Laney, new in town after a family tragedy, meets Gabe, a sensitive, mysterious artist, and instantly knows that she wants to be with him. Because he's handsome, and likes animals, and has his own tragic past, and is nice to her. They go from complete strangers to Made For Each Other in pretty much zero seconds flat. Fortunately, their romance is cute and flirty, with the two taking the time to actually get to know each other, past baggage included... except for Gabe's illness, which he refuses to tell Laney anything specific about.
Do you want to know how long it took the big reveal to happen? According to the progress bar on my Kindle, I was 88% finished before Laney finally figured out Gabe's big secret. 88%! That is way too long to keep someone hanging on your books only mystery, especially when it's revealed in a pretty un-dramatic (in my opinion) fashion. Laney's reaction to the reveal is also pretty unrealistic, albeit expected. It took significantly less time than that for me to figure it out. The foreshadowing in this book is off the charts with how heavy-handed it is. The plot and subplots are pretty predictable, and the main (external) source of conflict is super obvious from almost the instant he's on the page.
April 4, 2013
Author: Carole Rummage
Published by: Cedar Fort, Inc
Age Recommended: 12 - YA
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4
Review:
"Refuge" by Carole Rummage was a sweet teen-YA fantasy (with red wolves and bears)romance novel. Even though I found "Refuge" somewhat predictable it was still a good novel to read. We find Laney Lowell has lost both of her parents due to a car accident...she moves from Salt Lake City, Utah to Columbia, North Carolina while grieving to live with her Aunt and Uncle. One day while Laney is running in the forest called 'Refuge'...due to the fact that the town is trying to save the 'red lves' from becoming extinct, she meets Gabe Randall who is artist. He was in this 'refuge' trying to get some inspiration for this next art exhibit. Gabe saves Lany from a bear and the story takes off from there saying you must pick up "Refuge" to see just what all it is about. What is it about the disease that Gabe and his brother had? Would this turn away Lany? What all do Lany and Gabe have in common? All of these questions will be answered and more will be revealed as you read through this good novel. All and all this was a cute romance with a whole lots of twist and turns that will keep you intruiged wanting to know who, what, why and the how of it all. In the end the secrets will be uncovered. I saw that this author covers good values, has easy to relate to characters and describes a beautiful setting with some romance for the young readers. There is even a small area of religion exposed. The author also added questions at the end of the her novel for discussions....which is good for a school or book clubs.
I would recommend "Refuge" to any teen 12 + - YA who wants to read about a little romance in with some fantasy in the mix.
September 13, 2012
3.5 Stars
I just finished reading an ARC of this book. This book will be published in November 2012.
Refuge is a sweet story with a lot of potential. I honestly liked the story and enjoyed reading it. The only issue I really had was Gabe's disease and the fact that I figured out at the beginning of the book what was going on, but Laney doesn't figure it out until almost the end. It made me want to shake her a little and be like, okay...how did you not know!?! Okay so enough about the disease.
I liked Laney and Gabe and the comfort they were able to provide each other. I liked the setting of the story and thought her Aunt and Uncle made great characters as well. I would recommend this book, but I would say that the summary is a bit misleading in that I don't think the romance is thrilling, nor are there lots of twists....at least not in the sense that you don't know whats going on. I thought it was pretty clear what was happening the entire time. Lets see if I can think of a better Summary to give if you are interested in reading :
Book Pusher's Book Summary for Refuge :
Laney Lowell has just lost everything she's ever known. Starting a new life across the country she tries desperately to escape the pain. A gorgeous guy with a mysterious disease is the last thing she needs in her life, but she can't seem to convince her heart to stay away from Gabe Randall. Refuge is a riveting love story that you're sure to fall in love with.
http://bookpusher.com/book-review/ref...
I just finished reading an ARC of this book. This book will be published in November 2012.
Refuge is a sweet story with a lot of potential. I honestly liked the story and enjoyed reading it. The only issue I really had was Gabe's disease and the fact that I figured out at the beginning of the book what was going on, but Laney doesn't figure it out until almost the end. It made me want to shake her a little and be like, okay...how did you not know!?! Okay so enough about the disease.
I liked Laney and Gabe and the comfort they were able to provide each other. I liked the setting of the story and thought her Aunt and Uncle made great characters as well. I would recommend this book, but I would say that the summary is a bit misleading in that I don't think the romance is thrilling, nor are there lots of twists....at least not in the sense that you don't know whats going on. I thought it was pretty clear what was happening the entire time. Lets see if I can think of a better Summary to give if you are interested in reading :
Book Pusher's Book Summary for Refuge :
Laney Lowell has just lost everything she's ever known. Starting a new life across the country she tries desperately to escape the pain. A gorgeous guy with a mysterious disease is the last thing she needs in her life, but she can't seem to convince her heart to stay away from Gabe Randall. Refuge is a riveting love story that you're sure to fall in love with.
http://bookpusher.com/book-review/ref...
October 29, 2012
I've been trying desperately over the last few days to get into this and I just can't. You know the saying "It sounded good on paper."? Well this is one of those times. I mean the premise sounds awesome and heartbreak invoking, but unfortunately it just falls flat. The way the story is written it is just two-dimensional and lack luster. It almost reads like a first draft.
Don't get me wrong the story the author is trying to tell is a good one. She just doesn't do a good job at making it pop off the page and come to life, which leads to me kind of glossing over it. Ultimately I'm just not feeling the emotions here and it's leaving me bored and unsatisfied. And then there is the "insta love" between Laney and Gabe. I'm talking twenty pages in and BAM we are in love already. Now usually this wouldn't bother me. But since I'm just not really able to feel any of the emotions here I can't buy their relationship. It just seems far fetched.
Then we have the mysterious "disease" that Gabe is said to have. Laney and the rest of the town seems to know about this "disease" but no one knows what the disease is and Laney doesn't even question Gabe about it. I found myself reading just so I could figure out what was wrong with him, but still struggling half way through the book I decided to just give up. Whatever illness Gabe has it isn't enough to keep me reading.
Overall I think the premise for this book has great potential, but the writing just falls flat and emotionless.
Don't get me wrong the story the author is trying to tell is a good one. She just doesn't do a good job at making it pop off the page and come to life, which leads to me kind of glossing over it. Ultimately I'm just not feeling the emotions here and it's leaving me bored and unsatisfied. And then there is the "insta love" between Laney and Gabe. I'm talking twenty pages in and BAM we are in love already. Now usually this wouldn't bother me. But since I'm just not really able to feel any of the emotions here I can't buy their relationship. It just seems far fetched.
Then we have the mysterious "disease" that Gabe is said to have. Laney and the rest of the town seems to know about this "disease" but no one knows what the disease is and Laney doesn't even question Gabe about it. I found myself reading just so I could figure out what was wrong with him, but still struggling half way through the book I decided to just give up. Whatever illness Gabe has it isn't enough to keep me reading.
Overall I think the premise for this book has great potential, but the writing just falls flat and emotionless.
October 1, 2012
I received an ARC from Cedar Fort on Netgalley.
Rating: 2.5 stars. (With some changes to the flow and progression of the story it could be a 4 star.)
I'll admit that what made me want to read this was the mention of Gabe's mysterious disease in the blurb.
In the end the disease along with almost everything else was too easy and/or convenient.
Laney's grief was overcame very quickly, it could be realistic for some, but I just can't see being so open and sharing about the deaths of your entire family within months and not contantly breaking down. Plus her obsession with wolves took up more of her thoughts in the beginning of the story.
I had guessed correctly about Gabe's "illness" by about 15-20% in. It was made more obvious by his relationship with wolves, which was the exact opposite of what you'd expect a victim of a wolf mauling to be.
Laney and Gabe's relationship developed much too easily, even though they both had thoughts about it not being a good idea. Plus Ethan accepted it far too quickly after his ominous "no girlfriends" warning to Gabe.
Also the Randall family legal troubles disappeared ridiculously easily. Hardly any search was conducted after they ran and it took an 18 year old girl saying "I think Matthew might've been a dealer" to get them to look at any other routes. Then the real murderer was like yep I did it and here's why. o_O
At the core Laney and Gabe are sweet together and I enjoyed that.
Rating: 2.5 stars. (With some changes to the flow and progression of the story it could be a 4 star.)
I'll admit that what made me want to read this was the mention of Gabe's mysterious disease in the blurb.
In the end the disease along with almost everything else was too easy and/or convenient.
Laney's grief was overcame very quickly, it could be realistic for some, but I just can't see being so open and sharing about the deaths of your entire family within months and not contantly breaking down. Plus her obsession with wolves took up more of her thoughts in the beginning of the story.
I had guessed correctly about Gabe's "illness" by about 15-20% in. It was made more obvious by his relationship with wolves, which was the exact opposite of what you'd expect a victim of a wolf mauling to be.
Laney and Gabe's relationship developed much too easily, even though they both had thoughts about it not being a good idea. Plus Ethan accepted it far too quickly after his ominous "no girlfriends" warning to Gabe.
Also the Randall family legal troubles disappeared ridiculously easily. Hardly any search was conducted after they ran and it took an 18 year old girl saying "I think Matthew might've been a dealer" to get them to look at any other routes. Then the real murderer was like yep I did it and here's why. o_O
At the core Laney and Gabe are sweet together and I enjoyed that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2012
I found the Refuge ARC on Netgalley, and the blurb caught my attention.
Laney Lowell moved across the country to escape her past, not to fall in love. But when she becomes friends with Gabe, a handsome artist plagued by a mysterious disease, she'll have to decide between facing his dark truth or walking away from him forever. This thrilling romance is full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page.
While I enjoyed aspects of this story, it definitely didn't keep me "guessing until the last page." The mysterious disease was pretty obvious early on, but it took Laney most of the book to figure it out. There was a lot of build up followed by a very rushed ending.
At one point Laney is thinking about her appearance, and says she wouldn't have stood out in Salt Lake with her multiple piercings, pink streaked hair, and tattoo. I'm pretty sure she'd stand out anywhere looking like that, but especially in Salt Lake City, Utah. That issue aside, Laney's explanation about her appearance was eye opening. I wonder how many people out there have sentimental reasons for their seemingly rebellious attire?
The best part of the book was the relationship between Laney and her aunt and uncle. It developed at a realistic pace, and it was moving to learn about their pasts and see them overcome some of their obstacles.
Laney Lowell moved across the country to escape her past, not to fall in love. But when she becomes friends with Gabe, a handsome artist plagued by a mysterious disease, she'll have to decide between facing his dark truth or walking away from him forever. This thrilling romance is full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page.
While I enjoyed aspects of this story, it definitely didn't keep me "guessing until the last page." The mysterious disease was pretty obvious early on, but it took Laney most of the book to figure it out. There was a lot of build up followed by a very rushed ending.
At one point Laney is thinking about her appearance, and says she wouldn't have stood out in Salt Lake with her multiple piercings, pink streaked hair, and tattoo. I'm pretty sure she'd stand out anywhere looking like that, but especially in Salt Lake City, Utah. That issue aside, Laney's explanation about her appearance was eye opening. I wonder how many people out there have sentimental reasons for their seemingly rebellious attire?
The best part of the book was the relationship between Laney and her aunt and uncle. It developed at a realistic pace, and it was moving to learn about their pasts and see them overcome some of their obstacles.
October 13, 2012
3.5 stars
I picked this book up at NetGalley (throwing out a bit of NetGalley love). Honestly it was the cover that really drew me in first. I love those golds and browns. So pretty.
Well, I have to say that there weren't a lot of twists that kept me guessing to the last page in this book. It was a pretty obvious plot line but there were good things to be had in this book.
If you are not an insta love fan, then you might be a bit annoyed by this book. It really is an insta love kind of relationship between Laney and Gabe. It didn't really bother me so much, probably because I felt like both Laney and Gabe needed someone to love them. They were both lonely and vulnerable. They needed each other.
The relationship I did love was the one between Laney and her aunt and uncle. I felt like the understanding and love that grew between them felt more realistic and touching. It was, for me, the best part about the book because I actually felt something.
I enjoyed the setting, which I felt like I could see in my mind. It felt so peaceful.
Overall it was an okay read for me. It wasn't quite up to par with so many of the other YA paranormal books out there but there was no swearing and no sex which I always appreciate.
I picked this book up at NetGalley (throwing out a bit of NetGalley love). Honestly it was the cover that really drew me in first. I love those golds and browns. So pretty.
Well, I have to say that there weren't a lot of twists that kept me guessing to the last page in this book. It was a pretty obvious plot line but there were good things to be had in this book.
If you are not an insta love fan, then you might be a bit annoyed by this book. It really is an insta love kind of relationship between Laney and Gabe. It didn't really bother me so much, probably because I felt like both Laney and Gabe needed someone to love them. They were both lonely and vulnerable. They needed each other.
The relationship I did love was the one between Laney and her aunt and uncle. I felt like the understanding and love that grew between them felt more realistic and touching. It was, for me, the best part about the book because I actually felt something.
I enjoyed the setting, which I felt like I could see in my mind. It felt so peaceful.
Overall it was an okay read for me. It wasn't quite up to par with so many of the other YA paranormal books out there but there was no swearing and no sex which I always appreciate.
June 9, 2016
I'm giving this 5 stars for 2 reason:
1-I wasn't expecting a lot. My dad gave me this book, but he often gives me unusual things to read or books from unconventional sources so I never know if they've actually seen an editor, are self published, etc.
2- I was sucked in and basically read it in 1 setting and as soon as I was done, I wanted to read the 2nd book in the series.
This is a young adult romance novel with plenty of teenage angst. "I can't live with out her! I've only seen him once, but I can't stop thinking about him! I feel completed only when we are together.--- Those kind of over the top emotions and beliefs. I thought it was fun. There were good messages in the story without being preachy. There was a little fantasy/supernatural aspect at the end of the book, but the reader sees it coming so it isn't shocking to them. I would like to read the 2nd book to see how Gabe and Laney are doing as well as get some love for Gabe's brother, Ethan. I was super sad to discover the 2nd book was never published and the author has apparently given up hope on that and moved on to other projects.
1-I wasn't expecting a lot. My dad gave me this book, but he often gives me unusual things to read or books from unconventional sources so I never know if they've actually seen an editor, are self published, etc.
2- I was sucked in and basically read it in 1 setting and as soon as I was done, I wanted to read the 2nd book in the series.
This is a young adult romance novel with plenty of teenage angst. "I can't live with out her! I've only seen him once, but I can't stop thinking about him! I feel completed only when we are together.--- Those kind of over the top emotions and beliefs. I thought it was fun. There were good messages in the story without being preachy. There was a little fantasy/supernatural aspect at the end of the book, but the reader sees it coming so it isn't shocking to them. I would like to read the 2nd book to see how Gabe and Laney are doing as well as get some love for Gabe's brother, Ethan. I was super sad to discover the 2nd book was never published and the author has apparently given up hope on that and moved on to other projects.
November 12, 2012
Laney feels lost and alone when she moves in with her Aunt and Uncle, this is until she decides to run one morning in the forest nearby. Named the Refuge for the red wolves the town is trying to save from being extinct. Laney meets Gabe while he is out getting inspiration for his next art project. He and Laney find out they have much in common, save for the disease Gabe and his older brother have. What disease, no one knows.
This is a Young Adult novel. I think that if you enjoyed Twilight, or other books in that field, then you will like this book. For me I figured out what the disease was quite early on, but for Laney it took her until almost the end of the book to figure it out. I loved the roles of her Aunt and Uncle, and how opposite they are from one another, yet they are the perfect match.
This book also puts into perspective that tragedy can strike when you least expect it, and your life can change quite drastically. Spend every day living like it could be your last, cause who knows who or what will be taken from you when you least expect it.
This is a Young Adult novel. I think that if you enjoyed Twilight, or other books in that field, then you will like this book. For me I figured out what the disease was quite early on, but for Laney it took her until almost the end of the book to figure it out. I loved the roles of her Aunt and Uncle, and how opposite they are from one another, yet they are the perfect match.
This book also puts into perspective that tragedy can strike when you least expect it, and your life can change quite drastically. Spend every day living like it could be your last, cause who knows who or what will be taken from you when you least expect it.
May 12, 2013
First off, this review is coming from someone who is not a romance genre fan, let alone, a teen romance. However, I was extremely surprised at how much I liked and connected with this book.
My absolute favorite parts of the book were chapter 23 and after. Things really got exciting with the disappearance of Matthew.
Something I really loved about this book was how Carole Rummage beautifully portrayed the pain that comes with the loss of loved ones. I don't usually tear up when reading books, but I couldn't help it when I read the part about Uncle Walter and his wife losing their child. I have never lost a child, but the writing helped me understand what it feels like. The author again did a wonderful job with describing the emptiness and numbness that Laney felt when Gabe left.
From my own reading experience, I think the paranormal-teen romance category can sometimes just turn out to be brain candy rather than anything deeper. However, I felt that Refuge had substance to it through its underlying themes of death and loss.
My absolute favorite parts of the book were chapter 23 and after. Things really got exciting with the disappearance of Matthew.
Something I really loved about this book was how Carole Rummage beautifully portrayed the pain that comes with the loss of loved ones. I don't usually tear up when reading books, but I couldn't help it when I read the part about Uncle Walter and his wife losing their child. I have never lost a child, but the writing helped me understand what it feels like. The author again did a wonderful job with describing the emptiness and numbness that Laney felt when Gabe left.
From my own reading experience, I think the paranormal-teen romance category can sometimes just turn out to be brain candy rather than anything deeper. However, I felt that Refuge had substance to it through its underlying themes of death and loss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2012
The reviews seem to be all over the place for this one, from 1 stars to 4 stars, I think I even saw a 5 star somewhere.
Honestly, this book was a little predictable for me. I guessed what was going on very early on. There never really was a real mystery to the story and there were a lot of cliches, the girl who lost her family, beautiful, smart, everyone wants her. The handsome aloof boy that has a dark secret.
Still, even with all the cliches this wasn't a terrible read. the writing was okay and it did flow nicely. I read this in one sitting and if you can get pass all the cliches this was a cute love story about two broken people finding each other and fixing each other.
There wasn't a lot of depth to the story but if you want a quick fun fluff read I think you would like this one.
I am going to give it a very neutral 2.5 Stars because while predictable, I did enjoy it.
Honestly, this book was a little predictable for me. I guessed what was going on very early on. There never really was a real mystery to the story and there were a lot of cliches, the girl who lost her family, beautiful, smart, everyone wants her. The handsome aloof boy that has a dark secret.
Still, even with all the cliches this wasn't a terrible read. the writing was okay and it did flow nicely. I read this in one sitting and if you can get pass all the cliches this was a cute love story about two broken people finding each other and fixing each other.
There wasn't a lot of depth to the story but if you want a quick fun fluff read I think you would like this one.
I am going to give it a very neutral 2.5 Stars because while predictable, I did enjoy it.
August 26, 2012
Laney is a gymnast awaiting her scores so she could make it to nationals, thats when her world came crumbling around her as she found out she lost her parents and autistic brother and now had to live with her aunt and uncle. While living there, she met Gabe: the handsome and friendly guy with this mystery disease that no one would inform her about. Being with him, she felt whole, she felt complete. After a death occurs in the town, Gabe and his family take off. Suspicious maybe? Well, thats when Laney finally comes to conclusion of what his disease is. Can she live with it? Will this be her happily ever after?
As much as I enjoyed this romance between the two, my favorite part was the relationship she had with her aunt and uncle. In the end, they all needed one another to help them fill an empty place in their hearts.
As much as I enjoyed this romance between the two, my favorite part was the relationship she had with her aunt and uncle. In the end, they all needed one another to help them fill an empty place in their hearts.
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