Abby White was seven years old when she killed the monster under her bed. Now she slays creatures spawned by the fertile imaginations of children, and the number of these nightmares are on the rise. Neither she nor her guide - a stuffed hippo named Tawa - know why.
When she rescues Demetrius from an iron prison, he pledges his life to protect hers until he can return the favor. She doesn't want the help. And how can she concentrate on her job when the gorgeous wild fae throws himself in front of her during every fight? No matter how tempting, she can't take the time to lose herself to him.
To save the children and all she loves, Abby must be truly Fearless.
Christine Rains is a multi-genre writer, book blogger, and geek mom. When she's not playing games with her son, she's playing games with her friends. She has four degrees which do not help at all with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player.
Christine has several novels, novellas, and short stories published. Her writing covers all genres of fiction, but she loves to lose herself in paranormal romance most of all.
FEARLESS is a delightful paranormal romance/dark fantasy short story about Abby White, a girl who discovers that at age seven, she has the power to slay the monsters she hears under her bed. I adored Abby, and especially loved her sidekick and spirit animal--stuffed hippo, Tawa. Now Abby is an adult who hunts for the monsters that are haunting other children who can’t defend themselves. I really loved the banter between her and Demetrius, a fae male and love interest who teams up to help her hunt the monsters who are preying on children. This is a great short story that can be read in an hour or less, highly recommended! 5/5 stars.
Why, oh why, do authors have to fuck up a perfectly good kickass urban fantasy by letting it devolve into porn????? Idk, maybe I'm not the author's targeted market here, maybe it should have been listed as a YA read. I've given it 3 🌟 because up until 51%, which is when I DNF'D it, it was awesome.
This story is a quick read, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t much to it. In a short amount of time, Rains sucked me into the story and on many occasions I was laughing out loud. FEARLESS is unique, entertaining, fun, and scary.
This book has been sitting on my computer waiting to be read for a VERY long time. I had actually completely forgotten about it, till I cam past a review of it the other day, which motivated me to give it a go. All in all this was an enjoyable read, I read it in one sitting in fact (although that is not hard to do considering it’s only 75 pages or so). The book starts with Abby the main character as a 7 year old, and her encounter with her monster under the bed who she then kills. The book continues with Abby all grown up, working as a math tutor and a kick ass monster slayer on the side.
Despite really enjoying this book, it had many drawbacks for me. The main one being that this novella could have really excelled had it been made into a proper book. The plot was so unique and I feel the author could have gone a lot further with this book than she did. The fact that it was so short meant that the story felt rushed at times, and the romance wasn’t given a chance to develop properly.
The main character Abby was pretty kick-ass and I liked that she had a strong and stubborn personality. The introduction of the male lead Demetrius was rather predictable, but I am accustomed to this in Adult Paranormal romance (that’s what I would class this book as). My favourite character by far was Kawa. Abby’s spirit guide whose essence is imbedded in Abby’s childhood toy; a stuffed elephant. She's full of sarcastic wit, a personal favourite of mine.
Things I loved about the book:
- Great one liners, and witty dialogue.
- Original plot, with a great heroine who kicks ass.
Things that I didn’t so much like about the book.
- The romance was predictable with no real build-up.
- The cover is deceiving, it looks child-like and this is not a book for children. More thought going into the cover could have marketed this book better for it's intended audience.
- The Author could have done so much more with the novella, and extended it into a full book. I could actually see this as a YA/Adult Paranormal romance series.
Overall the book is reminds me of the “Georgina Kincaid’ series by Richelle Mead. I mean the writing is nowhere near as polished, but the story has a fun, urban fantasy feel to it. I could see the main character going on many more adventures in future books, fighting monsters and falling for hot hard-bodied men. *sigh*
If you have the time its worth the read, for only 70 something pages, the story is enjoyable. I just wish the author had taken the time and made it into an actual book, or even a series.
A unique and fast-paced novella, Christine Rains’ FEARLESS launches out of the shadows and into readers’ hearts.
At age seven, Abby White killed the monster under the bed. Now, as one of the Fearless, she slays children’s worse nightmares along with her guide, a stuffed hippo named Tawa. But after one particular hard fought battle, she rescues Demetrius—he’s devastatingly handsome, charming, and one of the wild fae. As Abby fights her attraction for Demetrius and the rise of monsters, she’ll need to prove how fearless she can be.
FEARLESS starts out simply with a child’s monster under the bed, but instead of this beast being a child’s imagination, the monsters are real, and Abby can stop them. The characters are loveable. My favorite is Tawa with her sharp wit and sarcastic remarks. Demetrius and Abby’s attraction and building relationship create just the right tension and passion. Rains builds the fantastical world she created bit by bit by drawing the reader further into the storyline and characters. This novella is definitely a pleasantly unusual paranormal romance filled with suspense.
Be fearless and read FEARLESS by Christine Rains. Each time I’ve read the story (up to three times as of this review), I’ve loved it more and more.
"Fearless" by Christine Rains is a fast and fun read. While it's not a good book for young adult or children as the cover might suggest with a stuffed hippo on the front, it has a good plot moving the story forward.
Here is the pros and the cons will follow.
I gave this book four stars because of the following reasons: 1)Fast easy read.
2)Dialogue in this book between the heroine and the love interest was believable and amusing pushing the characters forward.
3) the guiding spirit trapped inside the stuffed hippo plus the plot of the nightmares was a unique idea and the author pulled it off well.
4) I connected with the main character.
The cons: I feel the book fell short because it could have been so much more. I was disappointed that it was not a full length novel. There were areas I saw where the author could have really showed more of the characters, plot, and story by adding in more chapters and fleshing the idea out into an actual full length novel.
Fearless was a fun, entertaining, fast-paced read that I had trouble putting down. Ever read a book and find yourself saying "just one more chapter"? That's Fearless.
Abby is a strong and likable character. I adored Demetrius and Tawa even more, though. Demetrius is funny and admirable, and everybody should have a friend like Tawa, even a stuffed hippo friend.
The story kept me turning pages (er, swiping my screen, as it was an e-book), and my only complaint is that it was very short. I knew this before I began reading, but I guess I didn't expect to be so engrossed that I wanted more, more, more! So, a fair warning: You will probably get hooked and not want it to end so quickly.
Bravo to author Christine Rains, who really charmed me with Fearless!
This is an excellent paranormal romance novella. The characters are well thought out, and well realised, even though it's not a full length novel. The plot/ mythology is genius, and there's plenty of twists and turns at the climax. I utterly enjoyed this, and can't wait to see more from Christine. It was action packed, fast paced, edge of your seat action, peppered through with some steamy romance and a very sassy hippo!
I enjoyed this story so much! The fast-paced novella featured a strong, confident female protagonist who used her brain (and some really awesome swords). I loved that Abby saved herself over and over again but still worked with (or listened to) others. Despite this being a short story, it never felt rushed and the relationship she formed with Demetrius never felt forced or sudden. Super fun, spooky, gory at times--yeah, I'll definitely read this one again.
I was in the mood for a novella, and when I met the intrepid Abby White and her stuffed hippo, Tawa, I immediately was engaged by Fearless. The pace was just right to make me "turn the page"-- the romance interesting and with the perfect touch of humor that I like. Tawa had the best lines--and when I thought she'd been lost to a monster attack, I didn't want her gone from the story.
If you want a short, fun and different kind of "kill the monster" tale, this is for you.
Extremely short read, less than 60pages. The story occured over like 1 day, and during that time the heroine found her life mate, fell madly in love and saved the world from one evil. It was ridiculous. Writing was okay, it was mostly the fast tempo and non-existent plot which bothered me.
I cannot heap enough praise on Christine Rains for writing this book! It's just a brilliant idea, well written, and with a kick-ass main character! Definitely worth reading!
I could do without all the sexual tension in this (didn't really ring quite true) but the story about the monsters and how they were came to be was interesting.
I don't know this author and am not a friend. To be honest, the book needs work. The characters are flat and there's not enough world-building in the story to hold my interest. It isn't what I expected.
This book was a great depiction of an imagination gone wild. I’m sure as children A lot of us have had monsters under our beds so this was a great read...
I was drawn in by this “Abby White was seven years old when she killed the monster under her bed. Now she slays creatures spawned by the fertile imaginations of children, and the number of these nightmares are on the rise. Neither she nor her guide - a stuffed hippo named Tawa - know why.” and found the talking stuffed animal completely adorable! So being intrigued and loving the idea of a person slaying the monsters that live under the beds of children, I downloaded this free short in a heartbeat!
I liked Abby from the beginning! Her character was brave throughout and seeing the transition from her being a kid to an adult was done smoothly. I was so immersed in this world I never wanted to stop reading! It’s truly a fun short and I’m definitely hooked to the writers story telling!
Now the only little down side I have, is the romance. I know it’s hard to write it, especially in a short story, however I wished that I could have seen it blossom into what the author made it out to be. At the end, they loved each other. Yes, I did enjoy Demetrius and he did put a smile on my face. However their love was something I didn’t feel like I could truly connect to. All I saw was the reason why they fell in love was because they helped fight the monsters together and Abby saw him as a protector. I wasn’t able to feel them falling in love any other way. One minute Abby is at her wits end with him and the next she’s dying to be kissed by him?! All I’m saying is, is that I wished there was a better transition between the “I hate you” to “I love you”.
Overall this was truly a cute storyline and the monsters were a nice dose of creepiness. How the bad guy came forth was a total shock and it brought chills to my spine. In the end, I actually would love it if the author continued with this set of trio, especially how it ended for Tawa, adorable!! Plus the creepy details the author writes makes me a fan!
Note: at the end Abby made me think of Elise from S.M Reine’s Descent Series…though I think I could relate better to Abby….all I know is that Fearless made me die for more Monster Ass kicking heroines!
This review was originally posted on Big Al's Books and Pals review blog on September 11, 2012
Abby is one of the Fearless, she slays nightmare monsters turned real by the frightened imaginations of children. After a brief prologue, Rains starts chapter one in the middle of a battle in which Abby saves the life of a fae imprisoned in a trunk bound with iron. Demetrius is a fae from the Darkwood clan and now refuses to leave Abby's side. According to the blood debt, his body and soul are hers until the debt has been repaid. So, with his shimmering bad boy tattoos and his devastating good looks, he joins Abby's mission to slay these monsters.
Abby, Demetrius and Tawa, the witty and wise ancient spirit guide that resides in Abby's childhood stuffed hippopotamus, set out to discover why children are disappearing and nightmares are turning into real monsters at an escalating rate. Abby works as a tutor to keep in close contact with the children who need help when their nightmare monsters become real. While parents tend to write off these nightmares as imaginary, Abby knows better. She has been chosen and given blessed weapons, magical sight, and superior strength to protect children from their fears. She is one of the Fearless.
I found it easy to suspend my disbelief with this well written story. The unique plot unfolds into an action packed monster slaying mystery with a little romance. I found the characters well rounded and their dialogue believable. It was entertaining to watch Abby try to ignore her growing feelings for Demetrius. She will not let herself be distracted from her monster slaying mission, and he doesn't make it easy for her. The banter between the three main characters was full of sharp wit and innuendos. I found the protagonist ingenious and have to give the author kudos with the way she brought closure to the problem. Fearless is a fun, unique novelette filled with action packed monster slaying and a light-hearted romance. There were no significant issues with editing or formatting.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
A truly unique children’s tale with a big message…
My favorite lines:
“Her parents looked at her as if she were sick like her Aunt Hilde who lived in that special hospital.”
And
“The washer? You’re a cruel woman, Abigail Grace. You know the washer makes me sick.”
And, of course:
“What would it feel like to have him kiss her? Would he be tender? Or would he be as wild as he was when fighting?”
Abby White killed her first monster under the bed at age seven, and she’s been at it ever since. A Fearless warrior, she slays the monsters that lurk in children’s bedrooms so they never have to be afraid like she was. He loyal sidekick is a stuffed hippo named Tawa, who is really a witty and wise ancient spirit.
One night, while slaying a large bunch of monsters, she meets Demetrius, a handsome, wild fae. Not only does she have to fight monsters, but she also has to fight her feelings for him! Someone as busy as her doesn’t have time for love in her life! Especially if he’s a member of the Darkwood clan.
Fearless is light hearted at times and dark at others. It made me laugh out loud, had me on the edge of my seat with worry for Abby, and spooked me with its black blooded monsters. The message is a good one: everyone must face their fears. Abby is a strong and feisty character, and Demetrius is wickedly gorgeous- the ultimate bad boy with his tattoos. I enjoyed reading their banter back and forth, and seeing Abby fall for him.
Fearless is a highly entertaining and unique children’s tale with a big heart.
Fearless was a joy to read. It was a breath of fresh air to read because the plot was so original. loved that the heroine chased demons from children's nightmares. I loved the chemistry between Demetrius and Abby. I loved that he broke through her barriers and let her know that it was ok to relay on someone else and not just herself. I also enjoyed how Abby didn't let him do everything for her, even though he tried his hardest to.
The character that I loved the best though, was the stuffed hippo Tawa. She was just hilarious. She was there to keep Abby on track and let her know what was what. I also like how she didn't trust Demetrius right away and wasn't afraid to let Abby know it.
The only problem I had with this book is nowhere is Abby's age mentioned. She was living on her own, but I couldn't figure out if she was college aged or slightly older. It made it hard to get behind the romance 100% just because of that little reason. I know it's something that shouldn't bother me, but it did. Other then that though, this was a fun, fast read and I can't wait to read more by this author. :
It's always a good sign when I wish a book was longer. This needs to be longer. I would have loved to stay in that world more and see it fleshed out more. I did enjoy it though. It was a good story that moved at a nice pace. There was enough detail given to know what was going on, but I would have loved more. More of everything. The world, who the fearless were, Tawa and what she was, the romance. Definitely the romance. At first, I was tempted to say insta-love, but it wasn't really. More like insta-lust. Like you see pictures Jason Momoa and you start drooling because YUM! Abby thought Demetrius was hot looking, but was more interested in her duty. Only through being with him and getting to know him (which the story being so short was something we didn't get a lot of. Again, this is why I wanted more) did her attraction grow so by the end her feelings for him felt natural.
Anyways, a solid plot and interesting characters, good bad guy with a dash of mystery in figuring out who the bad guy was, exciting climax. Only downside was it was too short. I finished it in about 1-2 hours. MOOOOOOOOAAAAAR!
When I was little, I was afraid of what hid under my bed at night. I'm glad there wasn't a monster because I don't think I would've been as brave as Abby.
I adore Christine Rains' imagination! An old spirit guide disguised as a stuffed hippo named Tawa? I wouldn't be able to come up with anything more creative if I tried! I love strong heroines and Abigail White, one of the Fearless, is just that with swords and monster-killing abilities. I also love sexy, mysterious heroes and you can't get any better than a tattooed and muscular man named Demetrius of the Darkwood clan. Pointed ears doesn't diminish his hotness in the least. *wink* These two characters are great together. Their banter is extremely entertaining, and their personalities are fun. I haven't read such a great duo in a long time.
Fearless is a fun story full of monsters, lust, mystery and twists. It's now one of my favorite reads. I recommend it to everyone with playful imaginations. :)
Abby White is one of the Fearless, a monster killer. She killed her childhood monster when she was seven and as an adult she goes around town protecting children by slaying their monsters. Tawa, her talking stuffed hippo, guides her during her nightly quests. Abby comes across Demetrius, a sexy fairy, and she finds that even though she has feelings for him she doesn’t want to act on them since she has a job to do. He won’t leave her side since he has a debt to pay after she saved him. The two become a monster-slaying team, but when they face the biggest monster of all both their strength and determination are put to the test. This novella is packed with action, horror, and romance. I’m glad I had a chance to read it.
It has the charm and character of the more traditional fairytales we read to children, but is written with an adult audience in mind.
The main character is one of the Fearless. The Fearless are destined to protect children from the monsters which torment them. The monsters which are unseen by the adults of the world, you know the ones that hide in bedroom cupboards and under beds!
With a little sexual tension building among the main character, Abby White and her fey partner, Demetrius, the story is amusing and intriguing as the characters pair up together to fight a large monster who threatens all the children of the world.
I received this book free as part of a promotion through Amazon UK.
This story is very fast paced and as such Christine Rains manages to get a lot of action, character development, relationships etc in a very short amount of pages but without any of it seeming rushed. The story itself is very interesting, as is the development between Demetrius, Abby and Tawa. A very interesting take on an old story - after all, how many times were you afraid of things that go bump in the night when you were a child?
I really like the premise of this story. I think Rains was very creative when she invented "The Fearless". It was a fast, fun read. The stuffed toy was an excellent, at times humorous, touch. But the book felt rushed, and the characters weren't quite as developed as they could have been.
The cover might mislead some to think this is children's, or even MG material. It's a bit dark for that, and there is (very limited) mild sexual innuendo.