What do you think?
Rate this book
The Charmed Trilogy #1
The Charmed
In The Charmed—Book One of The Charmed Trilogy—Olivia Ann Greyson sees only one future for herself—to compose and perform the music she has loved since she was a child. But that future changes in an instant when a commuter train taking her to the city crashes and is attacked by, unbelievably, a coven of vampires! As the rabid creatures feed their thirst on the surviving passengers, Olivia is spared from an unthinkable fate because of the intervention of another vampire—Caleb Wolfe, a figure from her past who, for reasons he doesn’t understand himself, would do anything to protect her.
After one familiar touch, Olivia recognizes the man behind the vampire. Soon love, and a powerful supernatural connection, begins to grow between them. But with that connection Olivia starts to notice startling changes happening within herself, and violent events make it clear that the vampire coven which wanted her the night of the train crash won’t stop until they have her.
Time is running out for Olivia and Caleb to discover why all this is happening. And the answers they find may painfully tear their new love apart.
After one familiar touch, Olivia recognizes the man behind the vampire. Soon love, and a powerful supernatural connection, begins to grow between them. But with that connection Olivia starts to notice startling changes happening within herself, and violent events make it clear that the vampire coven which wanted her the night of the train crash won’t stop until they have her.
Time is running out for Olivia and Caleb to discover why all this is happening. And the answers they find may painfully tear their new love apart.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2012
7 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Christine Wenrick
7 books221 followersChristine is the author of The Charmed Trilogy. She lives in the scenic Pacific Northwest where she enjoys hiking, camping and photographing many of the wonderful places that served as inspiration for her novels. Her biggest reward in life is any given day when one of her books connects with a reader, because she herself is such a lover of reading.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 11, 2012
Review copy provided by author.
Let’s start off on the right foot here. I am a zombie fanatic. So when I see vampire in the blurb, it’s not my first choice. I am so glad that I didn’t pass on this one because of the that one little word. “Say it.” “Vampire”. You remember that part in TWILIGHT, I know you do. It’s unlike any other vampire book I have ever read. Yes, there aren’t too many ways you can riff on a vampire tale. Ms. Wenrick managed to toe the line of traditional and new age vampires and came up with something great!
So what did I love about this book? Besides every single minute I spent reading it?! The characters. Alpha male fans heads up. There are a lot of them in this book. I just don’t know which one to pick as my book boyfriend. Yet. There is Caleb. The main love interest. I really like Caleb. He’s smart, he’s sensitive, he is buff. He’s protective but still allows Olivia to have freedom. Yet, I liked him but I didn’t fall in love with him. He’s great and I think he is great for Olivia.
For me it was her guardian, Alec, that stole my heart. He had swagger, and a sense of humor. Sarcasm is a way of life and I live it. It gets Alec (and me) some dirty looks from time to time. He is a leader. He is the least willing to let Olivia have her own way. But in the end he does. Because Olivia is no wallflower.
Jax is like an older brother but has all of those Alpha male qualities. Buff, big heart, protectiveness, leadership. He is well balanced as well.
Olivia, I liked her too. Someone in another review compared her to Ana from Fifty. I didn’t see it. Maybe because she is incredibly naive? She is that, but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was cute and endearing. Not annoying and overdone. She is a little innocent for a woman in her mid twenties but not so much so that she comes across as a high schooler. Like I said before she is no doormat. She doesn’t let these Alphas talk her into things, or make her decisions. She just keeps blundering into disaster after disaster on her own free will.
The book is set in the northwest. Around the city of Seattle. It was beautiful. If it wasn’t so cold I might actually move there. The house Caleb built is amazing. A giant tree house. Who doesn’t want to live there. Like most dramatic, there- is- someone- trying- to- kill- me books, the characters tend to bounce place to place. Because of this we don’t get a real view of the outside world. Cellphones are hardly mentioned along with other things that place a time period on a piece. This story could be timeless. She could have easily set the plot back 50, 75. 100 years and it still would have worked. The amount of time Olivia spends cooped up in their tree house should have made me feel caged in. It didn’t though because of Ms. Wenricks sweeping descriptions of the forest and the house itself.
The writing was amazing. By 7% I was sold on this book. I knew I was going to lose myself in this story. And I did. It was solid and kept my interest throughout the day. I could not wait to pick it back up. Every second I had to spare was spent reading. I’d even sneak off to another room just to get some sentences in.
There are twists in this book that I did not see coming. Olivia has her fair share of secrets and Ms. Wenrick manages to leave us enough hints without giving everything away. There is genuine surprise when the big reveal comes. It wasn’t blow me away surprise, but it was a giddy sort of “oh I was hoping that was what was going to happen” surprise.
What I didn’t like about the book is very small and kinda nit picky. I was tempted not to mention it… The little “shades of gray” comments were not to my liking. They really don’t add or take away from the story, but I personally prefer not to be reminded of “that book”. Personal preference and really quiet silly. I know. I was almost afraid to post it because it is so silly and I didn’t want to be accused of being shallow but I figured it might be something others might notice. Do not take this for more than it’s worth. I think Olivia says it maybe four times and really the supreme awesomeness of the other book overshadows them. *Ms. Wenrick expands on this in her interview, which I did after I wrote the review.
Oh I almost forgot…these vampires. They do get covered in blood. I am and always will be a horror fan. When I read vampires I prefer them to be sexy and bloody with just the right amount of scare factor. Ms. Wenrick wrote those vampires. Caleb and Jax are very human like but as capable of creating horror. I love that!
Let’s start off on the right foot here. I am a zombie fanatic. So when I see vampire in the blurb, it’s not my first choice. I am so glad that I didn’t pass on this one because of the that one little word. “Say it.” “Vampire”. You remember that part in TWILIGHT, I know you do. It’s unlike any other vampire book I have ever read. Yes, there aren’t too many ways you can riff on a vampire tale. Ms. Wenrick managed to toe the line of traditional and new age vampires and came up with something great!
So what did I love about this book? Besides every single minute I spent reading it?! The characters. Alpha male fans heads up. There are a lot of them in this book. I just don’t know which one to pick as my book boyfriend. Yet. There is Caleb. The main love interest. I really like Caleb. He’s smart, he’s sensitive, he is buff. He’s protective but still allows Olivia to have freedom. Yet, I liked him but I didn’t fall in love with him. He’s great and I think he is great for Olivia.
For me it was her guardian, Alec, that stole my heart. He had swagger, and a sense of humor. Sarcasm is a way of life and I live it. It gets Alec (and me) some dirty looks from time to time. He is a leader. He is the least willing to let Olivia have her own way. But in the end he does. Because Olivia is no wallflower.
Jax is like an older brother but has all of those Alpha male qualities. Buff, big heart, protectiveness, leadership. He is well balanced as well.
Olivia, I liked her too. Someone in another review compared her to Ana from Fifty. I didn’t see it. Maybe because she is incredibly naive? She is that, but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was cute and endearing. Not annoying and overdone. She is a little innocent for a woman in her mid twenties but not so much so that she comes across as a high schooler. Like I said before she is no doormat. She doesn’t let these Alphas talk her into things, or make her decisions. She just keeps blundering into disaster after disaster on her own free will.
The book is set in the northwest. Around the city of Seattle. It was beautiful. If it wasn’t so cold I might actually move there. The house Caleb built is amazing. A giant tree house. Who doesn’t want to live there. Like most dramatic, there- is- someone- trying- to- kill- me books, the characters tend to bounce place to place. Because of this we don’t get a real view of the outside world. Cellphones are hardly mentioned along with other things that place a time period on a piece. This story could be timeless. She could have easily set the plot back 50, 75. 100 years and it still would have worked. The amount of time Olivia spends cooped up in their tree house should have made me feel caged in. It didn’t though because of Ms. Wenricks sweeping descriptions of the forest and the house itself.
The writing was amazing. By 7% I was sold on this book. I knew I was going to lose myself in this story. And I did. It was solid and kept my interest throughout the day. I could not wait to pick it back up. Every second I had to spare was spent reading. I’d even sneak off to another room just to get some sentences in.
There are twists in this book that I did not see coming. Olivia has her fair share of secrets and Ms. Wenrick manages to leave us enough hints without giving everything away. There is genuine surprise when the big reveal comes. It wasn’t blow me away surprise, but it was a giddy sort of “oh I was hoping that was what was going to happen” surprise.
What I didn’t like about the book is very small and kinda nit picky. I was tempted not to mention it… The little “shades of gray” comments were not to my liking. They really don’t add or take away from the story, but I personally prefer not to be reminded of “that book”. Personal preference and really quiet silly. I know. I was almost afraid to post it because it is so silly and I didn’t want to be accused of being shallow but I figured it might be something others might notice. Do not take this for more than it’s worth. I think Olivia says it maybe four times and really the supreme awesomeness of the other book overshadows them. *Ms. Wenrick expands on this in her interview, which I did after I wrote the review.
Oh I almost forgot…these vampires. They do get covered in blood. I am and always will be a horror fan. When I read vampires I prefer them to be sexy and bloody with just the right amount of scare factor. Ms. Wenrick wrote those vampires. Caleb and Jax are very human like but as capable of creating horror. I love that!
January 25, 2021
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Christine Wenrick.)
26-year-old Olivia is studying music and about to receive her masters, when she’s in a horrific train crash, and then worse – attacked by vampires!
There are many more surprises in store for Olivia though, and a love for a man (Caden) she could never even have dreamed of, as well as information that changes her view of who she herself really is.
Can Olivia live with who she finds out she really is though? Is Caden’s love for her real? And do they have any hope of a future together?
I really enjoyed this book, and even though it had vampires in it, it wasn’t your typical vampire/paranormal romance, which was a nice change! (None of the ‘Mine’ business either!)
Olivia was a strong and sometimes stubborn lead, and she had no problems pushing to try to get what she wanted, although I expected her to get angrier that Caleb was constantly picking her up and underestimating her. She had had a difficult year surviving both a car crash and a train wreck, and losing all the people that meant something to her. I totally got why she didn’t want to be hurt by Caleb, but how she wanted someone to love her just the same.
The romance between Olivia and Caleb was hot, and Caleb was seriously sexy! Even though there were vampires in this book, the romance element was strong, and I fell for Caleb just the same as Olivia did! There was both suspense and anticipation leading up to the ‘love’ scenes, which made this part of the book very satisfying, and when the scenes eventually came, it felt right!
This book was about vampires. There are a lot of books about vampires around at the moment, and I know a lot of people get a bit sick of it, but I felt that it was really well done in this book. The vampire element didn’t feel overdone, some old ideas were used, but new ideas were used also, and the vampire storyline fitted in well with the rest of the book. We didn’t get any soul-mate business or insta-love either, which was refreshing!
The one thing I didn’t appreciate was the way that Olivia refused to tell Caleb what she was. She felt bad because she thought that she was causing him to feel the way he did, and that he didn’t really feel that way about her, but then didn’t tell him exactly what was going on either. (Gosh that sounds complicated but I’m trying to avoid spoilers!)
This kind of lack of communication most commonly leads to problems in the long run, and I really wished that Olivia could have been honest and told Caleb the truth. (This is more a pet peeve of mine rather than an actual problem with the book though.)
I have to say that this book was very well written and flowed beautifully, I loved the characters and the storyline, and this was a very enjoyable read. I was also very happy with the ending – no cliff-hangers, but plenty to make me want to read the next one!
I would recommend this to anyone who likes paranormal romance! It is a fab read with an explosive finale, and is beautifully written.
8.25 out of 10.
26-year-old Olivia is studying music and about to receive her masters, when she’s in a horrific train crash, and then worse – attacked by vampires!
There are many more surprises in store for Olivia though, and a love for a man (Caden) she could never even have dreamed of, as well as information that changes her view of who she herself really is.
Can Olivia live with who she finds out she really is though? Is Caden’s love for her real? And do they have any hope of a future together?
I really enjoyed this book, and even though it had vampires in it, it wasn’t your typical vampire/paranormal romance, which was a nice change! (None of the ‘Mine’ business either!)
Olivia was a strong and sometimes stubborn lead, and she had no problems pushing to try to get what she wanted, although I expected her to get angrier that Caleb was constantly picking her up and underestimating her. She had had a difficult year surviving both a car crash and a train wreck, and losing all the people that meant something to her. I totally got why she didn’t want to be hurt by Caleb, but how she wanted someone to love her just the same.
The romance between Olivia and Caleb was hot, and Caleb was seriously sexy! Even though there were vampires in this book, the romance element was strong, and I fell for Caleb just the same as Olivia did! There was both suspense and anticipation leading up to the ‘love’ scenes, which made this part of the book very satisfying, and when the scenes eventually came, it felt right!
This book was about vampires. There are a lot of books about vampires around at the moment, and I know a lot of people get a bit sick of it, but I felt that it was really well done in this book. The vampire element didn’t feel overdone, some old ideas were used, but new ideas were used also, and the vampire storyline fitted in well with the rest of the book. We didn’t get any soul-mate business or insta-love either, which was refreshing!
The one thing I didn’t appreciate was the way that Olivia refused to tell Caleb what she was. She felt bad because she thought that she was causing him to feel the way he did, and that he didn’t really feel that way about her, but then didn’t tell him exactly what was going on either. (Gosh that sounds complicated but I’m trying to avoid spoilers!)
This kind of lack of communication most commonly leads to problems in the long run, and I really wished that Olivia could have been honest and told Caleb the truth. (This is more a pet peeve of mine rather than an actual problem with the book though.)
I have to say that this book was very well written and flowed beautifully, I loved the characters and the storyline, and this was a very enjoyable read. I was also very happy with the ending – no cliff-hangers, but plenty to make me want to read the next one!
I would recommend this to anyone who likes paranormal romance! It is a fab read with an explosive finale, and is beautifully written.
8.25 out of 10.
December 20, 2012
THE CHARMED by Christine Wenrick is a paranormal romance that centers around Olivia Greyson, a graduate student studying music who recently lost her parents in a terrible accident. During a fantastic opening scene in which a train crash brings her face to face with a man from her past, Caleb Wolfe, Olivia is forced to recognize the supernatural world she never knew existed. Caleb, a vampire, takes her to the home he shares with his coven, Jax and Gemma, and Olivia soon discovers that she is not who or what she thought she was. As she and Caleb grow closer, the powers that be, including Olivia’s own supernatural powers, threaten to tear them apart.
Twilight comparisons abound while reading THE CHARMED. From the setting of Washington state to the welcoming family of vampires, from the brooding vampire hero to the almost Alice-like character that is Gemma May, it was hard to read this book and not make comparisons. Perhaps the biggest similarity was the YA feel that is intentional in Twilight but not so intentional in THE CHARMED. For me, this was the biggest problem I had with the book. Olivia is 26 but in every action, thought, and feeling, she seems much younger. Olivia emotes with a lot of exclamations! She keeps things from the people she supposedly loves and cares for because she wants to live in a bubble for a few days, regardless of the fact that her admission literally brings danger to their doorstep. I just couldn’t find this redeemable, likeable, or even understandable in a mature woman. Finally, even the language she uses when referring to Caleb, her “angel”, her “love”, her “blue eyed warrior”, felt too melodramatic. And Caleb’s constant reference to her as his “sweet girl” further infantilized Olivia in my mind.
The romance between Caleb and Olivia is the central storyline of the book. Their connection is instant. Too quick for me. Olivia just experienced a tragic accident in which she witnessed her best friend, whom she has known since she was a child, being brutally murdered in front of her. When Olivia is rescued by Caleb and taken to his home, she recuperates and heals with Caleb’s help. She shows momentary sadness for the loss of her friend, but then, all too suddenly, is completely focused on Caleb and her new feelings. This was a bit of a turnoff for me. I would have liked to see some real struggle, some real fight in dealing with the loss of her friend (plus parents she lost six months prior to the train crash) while simultaneously trying to understand her feelings for Caleb. It was almost as if this hot, brooding vampire supplanted everything else and her world instantly becomes Caleb. The bones of the idea were good – she’s lost everything and everyone, it’s understandable she would cling to Caleb and his family. However, I wanted to feel something more than insta-lust/love, something profound. Amazing sex on a piano isn’t enough (it doesn’t hurt though).
Also, Olivia feels too much like a victim needing to be rescued. I hope this changes over the development of the trilogy. I appreciate that she isn’t the typical kickass heroine who, over the course of five pages, is suddenly able to take down 20 vampires singlehandedly along with a shot of whiskey. But I do want to see Olivia become more independent. We all like an alpha male but it’s more compelling when he’s paired with a real partner, someone who doesn’t always need the protection but appreciates it.
Caleb is an interesting character, tormented by what he’s become and struggling to maintain some humanity. I like him but he’s not given much to do but growl and protect Olivia. Jax and Gemma are also an interesting pair and I hope they have some sort of conclusion to what looks to be something romantic brewing between them. New characters are introduced later in the book, but I think their roles will figure more prominently in the second book in the trilogy.
THE CHARMED has received outstanding reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and from fellow bloggers I trust so I think my take on this book is really a matter of personal preference. I like some of the ideas here and there is a compelling plot twist at the end of the book that has you wondering what the future holds for Caleb and Olivia, but it just wasn’t enough for me. I actually read the follow-up, THE CHARMED SOULS, just to see if I would have a different reaction. Unfortunately, I felt the same way about book two.
This review is courtesy of She-Wolf Reads.
Twilight comparisons abound while reading THE CHARMED. From the setting of Washington state to the welcoming family of vampires, from the brooding vampire hero to the almost Alice-like character that is Gemma May, it was hard to read this book and not make comparisons. Perhaps the biggest similarity was the YA feel that is intentional in Twilight but not so intentional in THE CHARMED. For me, this was the biggest problem I had with the book. Olivia is 26 but in every action, thought, and feeling, she seems much younger. Olivia emotes with a lot of exclamations! She keeps things from the people she supposedly loves and cares for because she wants to live in a bubble for a few days, regardless of the fact that her admission literally brings danger to their doorstep. I just couldn’t find this redeemable, likeable, or even understandable in a mature woman. Finally, even the language she uses when referring to Caleb, her “angel”, her “love”, her “blue eyed warrior”, felt too melodramatic. And Caleb’s constant reference to her as his “sweet girl” further infantilized Olivia in my mind.
The romance between Caleb and Olivia is the central storyline of the book. Their connection is instant. Too quick for me. Olivia just experienced a tragic accident in which she witnessed her best friend, whom she has known since she was a child, being brutally murdered in front of her. When Olivia is rescued by Caleb and taken to his home, she recuperates and heals with Caleb’s help. She shows momentary sadness for the loss of her friend, but then, all too suddenly, is completely focused on Caleb and her new feelings. This was a bit of a turnoff for me. I would have liked to see some real struggle, some real fight in dealing with the loss of her friend (plus parents she lost six months prior to the train crash) while simultaneously trying to understand her feelings for Caleb. It was almost as if this hot, brooding vampire supplanted everything else and her world instantly becomes Caleb. The bones of the idea were good – she’s lost everything and everyone, it’s understandable she would cling to Caleb and his family. However, I wanted to feel something more than insta-lust/love, something profound. Amazing sex on a piano isn’t enough (it doesn’t hurt though).
Also, Olivia feels too much like a victim needing to be rescued. I hope this changes over the development of the trilogy. I appreciate that she isn’t the typical kickass heroine who, over the course of five pages, is suddenly able to take down 20 vampires singlehandedly along with a shot of whiskey. But I do want to see Olivia become more independent. We all like an alpha male but it’s more compelling when he’s paired with a real partner, someone who doesn’t always need the protection but appreciates it.
Caleb is an interesting character, tormented by what he’s become and struggling to maintain some humanity. I like him but he’s not given much to do but growl and protect Olivia. Jax and Gemma are also an interesting pair and I hope they have some sort of conclusion to what looks to be something romantic brewing between them. New characters are introduced later in the book, but I think their roles will figure more prominently in the second book in the trilogy.
THE CHARMED has received outstanding reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and from fellow bloggers I trust so I think my take on this book is really a matter of personal preference. I like some of the ideas here and there is a compelling plot twist at the end of the book that has you wondering what the future holds for Caleb and Olivia, but it just wasn’t enough for me. I actually read the follow-up, THE CHARMED SOULS, just to see if I would have a different reaction. Unfortunately, I felt the same way about book two.
This review is courtesy of She-Wolf Reads.
September 20, 2012
The Charmed is the first book that I have read from Christine Wenrick. I both LOVED it and HATED it at the same time!! She killed me with this book and she better make it up to me in the next one!!! LOL ;P
I need a HEA in the books that I read and The Charmed ended with only the hint of a future HEA for Olivia and Caleb. The ending was so sweet and sad!! UGH!!
I wasn't sure what to expect as I had never heard of The Charmed or Christine Wenrick. I was immediately pulled into the story through the prologue and hooked with the opening chapters. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. But then it started to remind me of Twilight, as there were a few similarities. This disappointed me because I really liked the book up to this point and I didn't want it to be like Twilight because nothing can come close to that book for me. I didn't want to read a Twilight imitation~if I wanted to read Twilight~I would just read Twilight!! But I kept reading and I am so glad that I did because before I knew it I was sucked back into this book and I didn't want it to end!! Yes, there were a few things that reminded me of Twilight but at the same time the story took over and it was all The Charmed!!
Oh, how I loved Caleb and Olivia!! That scene with Caleb and Olivia at the piano~SMOKIN HOT!! The secondary characters were just as great and I can't wait to see what happens next with Gemma, Jax, and Alec. Those little notes that Gemma left everywhere for Jax *sigh*.
Just a great story with great characters that kept me entertained and left me wanting more!! I was worn out by the end of this book from the roller coaster of emotions I felt and from biting my nails waiting for Olivia to reveal what she truly was and the affect it would have on everyone.
Christine please put me out of my misery and give Olivia and Caleb the HEA they deserve!! LOL :)
***ARC provided by Christine Wenrick~Thank you so much!! :)
I need a HEA in the books that I read and The Charmed ended with only the hint of a future HEA for Olivia and Caleb. The ending was so sweet and sad!! UGH!!
I wasn't sure what to expect as I had never heard of The Charmed or Christine Wenrick. I was immediately pulled into the story through the prologue and hooked with the opening chapters. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. But then it started to remind me of Twilight, as there were a few similarities. This disappointed me because I really liked the book up to this point and I didn't want it to be like Twilight because nothing can come close to that book for me. I didn't want to read a Twilight imitation~if I wanted to read Twilight~I would just read Twilight!! But I kept reading and I am so glad that I did because before I knew it I was sucked back into this book and I didn't want it to end!! Yes, there were a few things that reminded me of Twilight but at the same time the story took over and it was all The Charmed!!
Oh, how I loved Caleb and Olivia!! That scene with Caleb and Olivia at the piano~SMOKIN HOT!! The secondary characters were just as great and I can't wait to see what happens next with Gemma, Jax, and Alec. Those little notes that Gemma left everywhere for Jax *sigh*.
Just a great story with great characters that kept me entertained and left me wanting more!! I was worn out by the end of this book from the roller coaster of emotions I felt and from biting my nails waiting for Olivia to reveal what she truly was and the affect it would have on everyone.
Christine please put me out of my misery and give Olivia and Caleb the HEA they deserve!! LOL :)
***ARC provided by Christine Wenrick~Thank you so much!! :)
November 9, 2012
Before reading The Charmed, I didn’t know it would be anything resembling the Twilight series. After I read detail in the story, I went to investigate other reviews on trust old Goodreads. I read that there are a lot of resemblances to the famous book series but I actually fairly enjoyed the books (much better than the movies although I have to say I watch for the Taylor Lautner eye candy.) and thought well it’s pretty good so far so I will leave my judgments for the end. Well I didn’t exactly wait for the ending to come to the conclusion that I liked this better than Twilight. Yes, I said it. It’s better than the famed series. I do want to point out that The Charmed just has elements that remind me of it. There are different things that happen during the book but honestly, the characters felt like they weren’t some thrown together ignorant people.
Let’s take the main character, Olivia, for example. She has a very gifted talent of music. She can wield the piano keys with her fingers to create masterpieces or duplicate the originals. What did Bella have as a talent? Second guessing herself and falling. Lol. And the differences in the love interests are not as dramatic but I feel that Caleb is more grown up than Edward. The whole story in general to me has a more adult feel.
So I say give this new author a chance to shine like she deserves. Me, I will be waiting for the second to come out in the next few weeks.
Let’s take the main character, Olivia, for example. She has a very gifted talent of music. She can wield the piano keys with her fingers to create masterpieces or duplicate the originals. What did Bella have as a talent? Second guessing herself and falling. Lol. And the differences in the love interests are not as dramatic but I feel that Caleb is more grown up than Edward. The whole story in general to me has a more adult feel.
So I say give this new author a chance to shine like she deserves. Me, I will be waiting for the second to come out in the next few weeks.
May 19, 2013
Wow. Just… wow. This book was wonderful! From start to finish, it captured my attention and held me on the edge of my seat until the very end. It’s full of love, mystery, action, betrayal, heart break, excitement and a unique, yet familiar story line that’s sure to please any paranormal romance lover. The characters that the author has introduced in Olivia and Caleb are incredibly likeable with a chemistry that is absolutely undeniable. Olivia’s cultured and innocent demeanor compliments that of Caleb’s chivalrous and protective personality. And when the two of them are together, it just works.
This story is a fantastic start to what promises to be a great series.
Reviewed by Marie for Cocktails and Books
This story is a fantastic start to what promises to be a great series.
Reviewed by Marie for Cocktails and Books
March 8, 2014
The good news is that I have no clue where I got this recommendation from, as none of my goodread friends have read this, so I can't blame you! And if you are my goodread friends, I would recommend you not read this, unless you loved Twilight but wish it had more sex.
It is not a badly written book, it's just highly derivative.
It is not a badly written book, it's just highly derivative.
November 23, 2012
Actual Rating: 3.5
Say whaat? Neyra read another vamp book? No wonder mother nature's been on her rag lately ;) LOL. All bad comedy aside though, The Charmed is in fact a vampire book, and one that I found tolerable. Especially for us non vampire lovers over here. But I can't sit here and be like, "Oh I totally loved it, best book evah!" I'd just be lying my botty off. In my opinion, this book has it's flaws, but it's definitely captivating.
Here we meet Olivia Ann Greyson, a University student on her way to a Master's degree in music. Along with her best friend, Sarah, Olivia sets out to Portland on a train. But unfortunately for them, life has other plans. The train they are in collides with another, and while many are dead, few others have survived, including Olivia and her best friend. But what awaits them is much more terrifying than dying in a fire. For reasons unknown to her, Olivia begins to see shadows from afar flinging the remaining survivors back to the burning train. Suddenly they are both trapped by a vampire and his coven unwilling to let her go, claiming someone else has been searching for her. Just as she expects to die, Olivia is spared from death by another coven of vampires, and a man from her past she hadn't expected.
I think it's funny how, in most vampire books, the supernatural beings all seem to possess, this rather disturbing, stalker/abusive/controlling personality. I was glad this wasn't the case with Caleb. He hadn't been following her, or knew about her previously, he'd merely been at the crash site trying to save any human from the other coven when he'd spotted her. But he'd instantly recognized her as someone he'd met years prior. I didn't like the insta-love vibe that was going on when it came to Caleb and Olivia, but I did enjoy reading about Caleb, he was an interesting character. And then there's Gemma and Jax; she was a spit fire and he the gentle giant, which I'm always a sucker for, though I wish there would have been more screenplay for him.
Then there's Olivia. Strange things were happening to her since the night of the crash, as well as her ever growing feeling for Caleb, ones she couldn't understand. There were moments throughout the book where she was being way to naive or childish, but other than that her character was likable. Though i believe she took the existence of vampires a little too well, I liked that she didn't overplay it too much. She was weary of Caleb and his coven, as she should be, until she realized that they weren't the one's who would hurt her. As the book progresses, we learn more about the vampire world in The Charmed, and we also begin to notice these changes going on with Olivia. I was curious to see how it would all play out and to see what exactly was happening to her.
The writing was light, and made for an easy read. From the beginning it's instantly captivating, and kept me on edge mostly throughout the book. I think for vampire lovers, this would be a great book. For a non vamp lover, like myself it's not so bad. I do recommend picking up this book to all paranormal fans and romance lovers though ;)
*A copy of the book was provided by the author for review purposes*
For more of my reviews, visit Chronicles of a Bookaholic
Say whaat? Neyra read another vamp book? No wonder mother nature's been on her rag lately ;) LOL. All bad comedy aside though, The Charmed is in fact a vampire book, and one that I found tolerable. Especially for us non vampire lovers over here. But I can't sit here and be like, "Oh I totally loved it, best book evah!" I'd just be lying my botty off. In my opinion, this book has it's flaws, but it's definitely captivating.
Here we meet Olivia Ann Greyson, a University student on her way to a Master's degree in music. Along with her best friend, Sarah, Olivia sets out to Portland on a train. But unfortunately for them, life has other plans. The train they are in collides with another, and while many are dead, few others have survived, including Olivia and her best friend. But what awaits them is much more terrifying than dying in a fire. For reasons unknown to her, Olivia begins to see shadows from afar flinging the remaining survivors back to the burning train. Suddenly they are both trapped by a vampire and his coven unwilling to let her go, claiming someone else has been searching for her. Just as she expects to die, Olivia is spared from death by another coven of vampires, and a man from her past she hadn't expected.
I think it's funny how, in most vampire books, the supernatural beings all seem to possess, this rather disturbing, stalker/abusive/controlling personality. I was glad this wasn't the case with Caleb. He hadn't been following her, or knew about her previously, he'd merely been at the crash site trying to save any human from the other coven when he'd spotted her. But he'd instantly recognized her as someone he'd met years prior. I didn't like the insta-love vibe that was going on when it came to Caleb and Olivia, but I did enjoy reading about Caleb, he was an interesting character. And then there's Gemma and Jax; she was a spit fire and he the gentle giant, which I'm always a sucker for, though I wish there would have been more screenplay for him.
Then there's Olivia. Strange things were happening to her since the night of the crash, as well as her ever growing feeling for Caleb, ones she couldn't understand. There were moments throughout the book where she was being way to naive or childish, but other than that her character was likable. Though i believe she took the existence of vampires a little too well, I liked that she didn't overplay it too much. She was weary of Caleb and his coven, as she should be, until she realized that they weren't the one's who would hurt her. As the book progresses, we learn more about the vampire world in The Charmed, and we also begin to notice these changes going on with Olivia. I was curious to see how it would all play out and to see what exactly was happening to her.
The writing was light, and made for an easy read. From the beginning it's instantly captivating, and kept me on edge mostly throughout the book. I think for vampire lovers, this would be a great book. For a non vamp lover, like myself it's not so bad. I do recommend picking up this book to all paranormal fans and romance lovers though ;)
*A copy of the book was provided by the author for review purposes*
For more of my reviews, visit Chronicles of a Bookaholic
December 8, 2012
The Charmed is a surprisingly intimate book. Told in first person, the story unfolds very slowly. The reader has both time and space to create mental pictures, but isn’t left feeling like the story is dragging. Every detail is deliberate. There is action. There is blood. There is sex. There is emotion—a lot of emotion and it sucks you in. When I look ahead to see if my favorite character’s names appear, if I’m worried about them, then I know I’m hooked. Yeah, I looked ahead. Wenrick’s characters are likeable. Heroine Olivia Ann Greyson, from whose perspective the story is told, is a graduate student finishing advanced degees in both music composition and performance. I especially liked that music played an important role in the story and wasn’t downplayed as simple set-dressing. Her love-interest Caleb Wolfe also has personal passions that show up to shape the flow of the story and are integral to a very significant action scene.
Debut author Christine Wenrick takes advantage of traditional vampire and paranormal folklore to create her tale. Like Stephenie Meyer’s “good” vampires, Wenrick’s “Daywalkers” intentionally don’t attack humans for blood, but they do drink it. I think I actually liked Wenrick’s treatment of their reasons and methods better than those of the Twilight cast.
One of my disappointments was an insufficiently explained connection. When Olivia and Caleb meet up at the beginning of the book, it’s apparent that they’ve met each other before the reader arrives on the scene. That first meeting is given a cursory once over, but never explained in the same detail that typifies the rest of the book. That’s disappointing because the story surrounding that first meeting seems to have a lot to do with who Caleb is…something I hope will be addressed before the trilogy resolves.
The Charmed Souls, the second book in the Charmed Trilogy is shorter and better than the first. It also must be read in order. Without the sequencing, everything that has been set-up in book one would lose its significance. Everything, the action, the romance, it’s all escalated. Olivia’s music becomes very significant to her relationship with Caleb. Additionally, new connections are made and small details that the reader glances over in the first book become significant in this volume.
Being a new author, Wenrick’s novels seemed to lack some of the polish of a more experienced writer, but she shows a finesse and attention to her plotlines that leads me to believe she will only improve with successive attempts. I’m very much looking forward to reading the third installments of the trilogy.
Debut author Christine Wenrick takes advantage of traditional vampire and paranormal folklore to create her tale. Like Stephenie Meyer’s “good” vampires, Wenrick’s “Daywalkers” intentionally don’t attack humans for blood, but they do drink it. I think I actually liked Wenrick’s treatment of their reasons and methods better than those of the Twilight cast.
One of my disappointments was an insufficiently explained connection. When Olivia and Caleb meet up at the beginning of the book, it’s apparent that they’ve met each other before the reader arrives on the scene. That first meeting is given a cursory once over, but never explained in the same detail that typifies the rest of the book. That’s disappointing because the story surrounding that first meeting seems to have a lot to do with who Caleb is…something I hope will be addressed before the trilogy resolves.
The Charmed Souls, the second book in the Charmed Trilogy is shorter and better than the first. It also must be read in order. Without the sequencing, everything that has been set-up in book one would lose its significance. Everything, the action, the romance, it’s all escalated. Olivia’s music becomes very significant to her relationship with Caleb. Additionally, new connections are made and small details that the reader glances over in the first book become significant in this volume.
Being a new author, Wenrick’s novels seemed to lack some of the polish of a more experienced writer, but she shows a finesse and attention to her plotlines that leads me to believe she will only improve with successive attempts. I’m very much looking forward to reading the third installments of the trilogy.
January 8, 2013
The Charmed was such a treat! It took me by surprise how engrossing this read would be. I missed breakfast AND lunch and I had to finish it in one day even if it meant doing practically nothing on my day off.
I have no regrets.
Caleb is a new favorite hero on my list. He's protective and strong willed. He has a big heart and will do anything for the ones he loves. Did I mention he's excellent in the looks department? Olivia is also a great heroine. She gets thrust into a world upside down from the world she's grown to know. She may not be as strong as a vampire, but she isn't weak. She's smart and determined. She won't go down without a fight.
The secondary characters were a bonus. Fitting personalities that worked great with the chemistry in the house. I love Gemma and Jax and hope to see something blossom between them in the near future. I have high hopes that they will become mated.
I do wish Olivia told the full truth to Caleb all at once, instead of putting it off, but people make mistakes and she was under a lot of pressure. I guess she has an excuse. *grins*
Overall, I truly enjoyed this engrossing read. I'll be reading The Charmed Souls as soon as possible. I need to know what happens next. I can't wait to read more.
I have no regrets.
Caleb is a new favorite hero on my list. He's protective and strong willed. He has a big heart and will do anything for the ones he loves. Did I mention he's excellent in the looks department? Olivia is also a great heroine. She gets thrust into a world upside down from the world she's grown to know. She may not be as strong as a vampire, but she isn't weak. She's smart and determined. She won't go down without a fight.
The secondary characters were a bonus. Fitting personalities that worked great with the chemistry in the house. I love Gemma and Jax and hope to see something blossom between them in the near future. I have high hopes that they will become mated.
I do wish Olivia told the full truth to Caleb all at once, instead of putting it off, but people make mistakes and she was under a lot of pressure. I guess she has an excuse. *grins*
Overall, I truly enjoyed this engrossing read. I'll be reading The Charmed Souls as soon as possible. I need to know what happens next. I can't wait to read more.
May 13, 2013
The Charmed is book one in The Charmed Trilogy these books really do need to be read in order to make sense so best start with this one :O)
Olivia is a young adult who has a gift for piano and has been visited by tragedy in her young life. She is a spunky, self effacing heroine who has no idea that her life is all about to change in very dramatic ways.
Caleb is young as far as vampires go, he is all about maintaining control of the monster within him and has learned to drink without killing. He rescues Olivia and is charmed by her from the start.
The world created by Christine Wenrick for the Charmed Trilogy is extremely well done, giving us a whole new take on how some vampires can walk during the day. We have good vampires and bad ones, your obligatory fanatical anti-vampire group, and a cast of secondary characters that really make the book that much better. I must say as much as I like the story between Caleb and Olivia I am hoping that in the second or third book we get to explore the relationship between Jax and Gemma.
With minor sex scenes this is a pretty tame book but the love and fire between the characters is still there.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Olivia is a young adult who has a gift for piano and has been visited by tragedy in her young life. She is a spunky, self effacing heroine who has no idea that her life is all about to change in very dramatic ways.
Caleb is young as far as vampires go, he is all about maintaining control of the monster within him and has learned to drink without killing. He rescues Olivia and is charmed by her from the start.
The world created by Christine Wenrick for the Charmed Trilogy is extremely well done, giving us a whole new take on how some vampires can walk during the day. We have good vampires and bad ones, your obligatory fanatical anti-vampire group, and a cast of secondary characters that really make the book that much better. I must say as much as I like the story between Caleb and Olivia I am hoping that in the second or third book we get to explore the relationship between Jax and Gemma.
With minor sex scenes this is a pretty tame book but the love and fire between the characters is still there.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 19, 2013
Just finished the paper back of The Charmed and WOW. I didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to get the other 2 in this trilogy to find out what's going to happen next. This book had all of my emotions going through out the whole book. Again I say WOW.
May 27, 2013
The Charmed is book one in The Charmed Trilogy by Christine Wenrick and begins with us finding Olivia Ann Greyson, 26 year old music prodigy, on a train, traveling with her childhood best friend Sarah. Uneasy and sensing that something is wrong – Olivia’s instincts turn out to be absolutely correct. What results sets off an epic event that is sure to change Olivia’s life for ever and show her that what she thought was the stuff of nightmares may in fact be a reality after all.
Caleb Wolfe is a young vampire and he has just rescued / saved Olivia from a coven of evil Nightwalkers, intent on having her for their own. While Olivia has just found out that vampire exist – she is scared, confused and afraid. Devastated at the loss that she just experienced and the realization that she has just come to know – Olivia struggles with being under Caleb’s protective care. But as Caleb and Olivia soon understand – that fateful night was not their first meeting. They have met before – years ago. And that moment in time had forever been etched in Olivia’s mind. And once she realizes who Caleb is and what he means to her past – it awakens inside her feelings that she has never felt before.
As Olivia recognizes that she is beginning to feel strongly for Caleb, she also realizes that something is changing inside of her. She no longer needs her glasses that she has had since she was a small child and that her injuries are healing much faster than they should be for a human. Not knowing what is wrong or what she is experiencing – Caleb’s coven decides its best if Olivia leaves before Caleb gets too far invested and breaks any rules. Once back home – Olivia notices that her appearance has now changed and she is soon approached by two men Gideon and Alec from The Brethren, who say that they know what is wrong with Olivia and that they can help her. Having no one else to turn to – Olivia trusts them and soon finds out that what she has been experiencing isn’t at all what she thought it was.
Can Caleb fit into her new life and will he want to once he finds out what Olivia really is? There is only one way to find out….
Let me start off by saying – DO NOT start this book before bed… you have been warned!! This is definitely a – can not put down – pry my fingers from it – I went to bed at 4am – slept 3 hours – finished in one day kind of book! I could absolutely not put this book down once I started it. I had to and wanted to know what was going to happen next. There are some extremely powerful scenes – like when Olivia must leave Caleb for the first time – for the sake of everyone’s own good. I was left a hot mess of tears, sniffles and tissues. I can honestly say that I do not ever remember sobbing at a book this way before. The connection between Olivia and Caleb struck me so deep by this moment that it was heart-breaking as this scene unfolded. The connection, love and sincerity between Olivia and Caleb is truly palpable, in every sense of the word. As Olivia’s true nature is revealed – you soon realize that not even that will stop the two of them from being together!
The secondary characters – Jax (alpha vampire of Caleb’s coven) and Gemma (Dhampiresa of Caleb’s coven) – are extraordinary characters that I loved from the moment I met them. Gemma is quirky, fun and down to mean business when need be. I love the fact that she leaves poems around the house. I was intimately intrigued by her doing that – I kept asking myself does she know it’s him that is reading them, keeping them. Jax is a big, gruff, gentle giant of a vampire who collects Gemma’s poems and collects them and is obviously so in love with her that I wanted to scream at him to tell her how he feels! I sincerely hope to read more of Jax and Gemma in the future books, as the love Jax feels for her is so apparent and so raw that it is definitely a must continue. Alec, is Olivia’s Guardian in the Brethren – and while I believe he is pure of heart for his care and protection of Olivia – I did not care for him. I believe I felt so strongly against him taking her from Caleb that I did not want anything to do with him. Hopefully as the story unfolds in the next book I may grow to like him more but as of right now – not one of my favorites.
As sleep deprived as I am – I am diving head first into the next book – The Charmed Souls…
Erin Koiso
The Reading Cafe
Caleb Wolfe is a young vampire and he has just rescued / saved Olivia from a coven of evil Nightwalkers, intent on having her for their own. While Olivia has just found out that vampire exist – she is scared, confused and afraid. Devastated at the loss that she just experienced and the realization that she has just come to know – Olivia struggles with being under Caleb’s protective care. But as Caleb and Olivia soon understand – that fateful night was not their first meeting. They have met before – years ago. And that moment in time had forever been etched in Olivia’s mind. And once she realizes who Caleb is and what he means to her past – it awakens inside her feelings that she has never felt before.
As Olivia recognizes that she is beginning to feel strongly for Caleb, she also realizes that something is changing inside of her. She no longer needs her glasses that she has had since she was a small child and that her injuries are healing much faster than they should be for a human. Not knowing what is wrong or what she is experiencing – Caleb’s coven decides its best if Olivia leaves before Caleb gets too far invested and breaks any rules. Once back home – Olivia notices that her appearance has now changed and she is soon approached by two men Gideon and Alec from The Brethren, who say that they know what is wrong with Olivia and that they can help her. Having no one else to turn to – Olivia trusts them and soon finds out that what she has been experiencing isn’t at all what she thought it was.
Can Caleb fit into her new life and will he want to once he finds out what Olivia really is? There is only one way to find out….
Let me start off by saying – DO NOT start this book before bed… you have been warned!! This is definitely a – can not put down – pry my fingers from it – I went to bed at 4am – slept 3 hours – finished in one day kind of book! I could absolutely not put this book down once I started it. I had to and wanted to know what was going to happen next. There are some extremely powerful scenes – like when Olivia must leave Caleb for the first time – for the sake of everyone’s own good. I was left a hot mess of tears, sniffles and tissues. I can honestly say that I do not ever remember sobbing at a book this way before. The connection between Olivia and Caleb struck me so deep by this moment that it was heart-breaking as this scene unfolded. The connection, love and sincerity between Olivia and Caleb is truly palpable, in every sense of the word. As Olivia’s true nature is revealed – you soon realize that not even that will stop the two of them from being together!
The secondary characters – Jax (alpha vampire of Caleb’s coven) and Gemma (Dhampiresa of Caleb’s coven) – are extraordinary characters that I loved from the moment I met them. Gemma is quirky, fun and down to mean business when need be. I love the fact that she leaves poems around the house. I was intimately intrigued by her doing that – I kept asking myself does she know it’s him that is reading them, keeping them. Jax is a big, gruff, gentle giant of a vampire who collects Gemma’s poems and collects them and is obviously so in love with her that I wanted to scream at him to tell her how he feels! I sincerely hope to read more of Jax and Gemma in the future books, as the love Jax feels for her is so apparent and so raw that it is definitely a must continue. Alec, is Olivia’s Guardian in the Brethren – and while I believe he is pure of heart for his care and protection of Olivia – I did not care for him. I believe I felt so strongly against him taking her from Caleb that I did not want anything to do with him. Hopefully as the story unfolds in the next book I may grow to like him more but as of right now – not one of my favorites.
As sleep deprived as I am – I am diving head first into the next book – The Charmed Souls…
Erin Koiso
The Reading Cafe
October 2, 2012
Read My Full Review at: http://reviewingromance.com/the-charm...
So I’ve been pretty busy with work over the last week and I am bummed I haven’t been cranking out reviews as fast as I’d like to. Even more frustrating for me is how incredible slow I was forced to read The Charmed by Christine Wenrick. I was irritated every time I was forced to put it down because all I wanted to do was keep on reading. The Charmed is the first in The Charmed Trilogy for new author Christine Wenrick.
I can tell you, with 7 out of the 8 reviews currently on Amazon being rated at 5 stars, I was curious to see if this one would be able to hold its ground against me…
Story Line
Christine Wenrick really has a great story line on her hands here. There is a few places where you may get lost for a second, but it quickly resolves itself.
Heroine Likability
Olivia is interesting. There are moments that I really don't want to like her because she is throwing a tantrum or is intentionally withholding information for no good reason, but overall she is a good soul and a bit lost in life after everything she has gone through and I was really happy to see her character growth towards the end.
Hero Likability
From the beginning Caleb is an obvious kind soul despite his situation and you find yourself rooting for his inner demons to resolve themselves. I was really pleased that although the story is told in the first person that you could really feel his character and it's emotions. They are not lost in Olivia's head.
Sex Scenes
These are VERY nice. If your a romance lover, but not a huge fan of the graphic erotica then this is perfect for you. There is just enough detail to get your pulse racing but not too much to make you feel uncomfortable. They are very moving. You can really feel Olivia and Caleb's pull to one another and their raw passion.
Writing Style
I have positives and negatives here. I really liked Christine's ability to give away just enough information at the right times. She leaves you enticed but not annoyed, and never gives you too much that you figure how where everything is heading before it gets there. Now my downside, there are a few areas where there short sentences that break things up awkwardly. Usually they are 4 or 5 word sentences that end with an '!' These sentences really bug me for some reason because the flow feels interrupted and I always stop and almost re-write the sentences in my head of a smoother more complete way that they could have been written. Particularly, there is a few places in a fight scene towards the end where I feel it might as well been written comic book style with 'POW!' and 'BOOM!' for what it the sentences really consisted of.
The Roller Coaster
Man, this one really keeps you on your toes. So many things going on. They are all easy to keep track of as they progress but in a way that you do not feel too overwhelmed at once.
The Happily Ever After-ness
Sadly, this one is apart of a trilogy so we don't have an HEA, BUT you do get a very beautiful ending that leaves you wanting more. I'm very eager to read book #2 and see where it takes Olivia and Caleb... Perhaps a love triangle with her guardian? ohhh... that might be fun!
So I’ve been pretty busy with work over the last week and I am bummed I haven’t been cranking out reviews as fast as I’d like to. Even more frustrating for me is how incredible slow I was forced to read The Charmed by Christine Wenrick. I was irritated every time I was forced to put it down because all I wanted to do was keep on reading. The Charmed is the first in The Charmed Trilogy for new author Christine Wenrick.
I can tell you, with 7 out of the 8 reviews currently on Amazon being rated at 5 stars, I was curious to see if this one would be able to hold its ground against me…
Story Line
Christine Wenrick really has a great story line on her hands here. There is a few places where you may get lost for a second, but it quickly resolves itself.
Heroine Likability
Olivia is interesting. There are moments that I really don't want to like her because she is throwing a tantrum or is intentionally withholding information for no good reason, but overall she is a good soul and a bit lost in life after everything she has gone through and I was really happy to see her character growth towards the end.
Hero Likability
From the beginning Caleb is an obvious kind soul despite his situation and you find yourself rooting for his inner demons to resolve themselves. I was really pleased that although the story is told in the first person that you could really feel his character and it's emotions. They are not lost in Olivia's head.
Sex Scenes
These are VERY nice. If your a romance lover, but not a huge fan of the graphic erotica then this is perfect for you. There is just enough detail to get your pulse racing but not too much to make you feel uncomfortable. They are very moving. You can really feel Olivia and Caleb's pull to one another and their raw passion.
Writing Style
I have positives and negatives here. I really liked Christine's ability to give away just enough information at the right times. She leaves you enticed but not annoyed, and never gives you too much that you figure how where everything is heading before it gets there. Now my downside, there are a few areas where there short sentences that break things up awkwardly. Usually they are 4 or 5 word sentences that end with an '!' These sentences really bug me for some reason because the flow feels interrupted and I always stop and almost re-write the sentences in my head of a smoother more complete way that they could have been written. Particularly, there is a few places in a fight scene towards the end where I feel it might as well been written comic book style with 'POW!' and 'BOOM!' for what it the sentences really consisted of.
The Roller Coaster
Man, this one really keeps you on your toes. So many things going on. They are all easy to keep track of as they progress but in a way that you do not feel too overwhelmed at once.
The Happily Ever After-ness
Sadly, this one is apart of a trilogy so we don't have an HEA, BUT you do get a very beautiful ending that leaves you wanting more. I'm very eager to read book #2 and see where it takes Olivia and Caleb... Perhaps a love triangle with her guardian? ohhh... that might be fun!
October 7, 2012
Originally posted on Breath of Life Reviews
Barely eight pages into The Charmed on a windy night and my heart was pumping and I was jumping every time something hit the windows! It's an addictive paranormal romance that doesn't skimp on the paranormal aspect or tone it down in order to bring the romance into the forefront. Both parts of the book are equally strong and equally entertaining.
The Charmed has a strong start and Christine Wenrick is quite talented at making a reader feel like they're a part of the grisly scenes unfolding in the first few chapters. I could not only see what was happening but hear every sound, smell every scent and feel every emotion. It was not always pleasant BUT in my opinion that's what made this book such a strong one. If a story can take me places, I'm happy. If it could make me experience everything, I'm sold.
I have noticed (and feel free to let me know if I'm wrong) that almost every time someone writes a vampire romance in first person there are automatically comparisons to that OTHER vampire series that became a multi-million dollar movie franchise (my guilty pleasure so sue me), and yes, there are a few similarities between Twilight and The Charmed but aside from that, The Charmed is without a doubt, an ADULT book. Trust me, this is an 18 and over read.
Olivia is not a naive teenager with confidence issues. She's a mature woman who has suddenly and violently been thrown into a world she thought only existed in books. Though she finds herself in the middle of a nightmare, she's not completely defenseless. She's as tough as she can be, smart and once she knows what she wants, she doesn't stop until she gets it.
Caleb is unbelievable sexy, and not because of how Olivia describes him, but of what he says to her, how he takes care of her without completely treating her like a helpless female. He's a skilled fighter, who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect Olivia and find out what exactly it is about her that draws not only his interest but that of rival vampires.
The attraction between Caleb and Olivia is pretty intense, which makes the book that much more enjoyable, which was surprising to me because I'm not normally fond of books told in first person. The Charmed is actually the first adult romance novel I've ever read that was told in first person and thankfully, it works. It's dangerous, sexy, and full of surprises. Fans of paranormal romance won't be disappointed with The Charmed, there's enough sexual tension, chemistry and emotional angst that there will be no doubt about to which genre this book belongs to.
Secondary characters are interesting but not too much so that they steal the spotlight from Caleb and Olivia. At times the story was a bit predictable and cliched but almost all romance novels are at some point, it doesn't take away from how enjoyable The Charmed is.
The Charmed by Christine Wenrick is thankfully the first book in a series and according the Christine's website, book two is right around the corner. I cannot wait to revisit this world and its characters again.
Barely eight pages into The Charmed on a windy night and my heart was pumping and I was jumping every time something hit the windows! It's an addictive paranormal romance that doesn't skimp on the paranormal aspect or tone it down in order to bring the romance into the forefront. Both parts of the book are equally strong and equally entertaining.
The Charmed has a strong start and Christine Wenrick is quite talented at making a reader feel like they're a part of the grisly scenes unfolding in the first few chapters. I could not only see what was happening but hear every sound, smell every scent and feel every emotion. It was not always pleasant BUT in my opinion that's what made this book such a strong one. If a story can take me places, I'm happy. If it could make me experience everything, I'm sold.
I have noticed (and feel free to let me know if I'm wrong) that almost every time someone writes a vampire romance in first person there are automatically comparisons to that OTHER vampire series that became a multi-million dollar movie franchise (my guilty pleasure so sue me), and yes, there are a few similarities between Twilight and The Charmed but aside from that, The Charmed is without a doubt, an ADULT book. Trust me, this is an 18 and over read.
Olivia is not a naive teenager with confidence issues. She's a mature woman who has suddenly and violently been thrown into a world she thought only existed in books. Though she finds herself in the middle of a nightmare, she's not completely defenseless. She's as tough as she can be, smart and once she knows what she wants, she doesn't stop until she gets it.
Caleb is unbelievable sexy, and not because of how Olivia describes him, but of what he says to her, how he takes care of her without completely treating her like a helpless female. He's a skilled fighter, who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect Olivia and find out what exactly it is about her that draws not only his interest but that of rival vampires.
The attraction between Caleb and Olivia is pretty intense, which makes the book that much more enjoyable, which was surprising to me because I'm not normally fond of books told in first person. The Charmed is actually the first adult romance novel I've ever read that was told in first person and thankfully, it works. It's dangerous, sexy, and full of surprises. Fans of paranormal romance won't be disappointed with The Charmed, there's enough sexual tension, chemistry and emotional angst that there will be no doubt about to which genre this book belongs to.
Secondary characters are interesting but not too much so that they steal the spotlight from Caleb and Olivia. At times the story was a bit predictable and cliched but almost all romance novels are at some point, it doesn't take away from how enjoyable The Charmed is.
The Charmed by Christine Wenrick is thankfully the first book in a series and according the Christine's website, book two is right around the corner. I cannot wait to revisit this world and its characters again.
October 24, 2012
The Charmed is a great romance story. There were a couple of plot twists that I didn't see coming that really added to the story. I liked that Christine added in a few fight scenes throughout the story as well.
Olivia was definitely a character that I had a slight issue with. She went from fearing Caleb to falling head over heels in love with him in a couple of days. But no matter how strongly he acted towards her, she still doubted his feelings for her. I'm okay with a little insecurities in my characters because after all, it makes them human. However, her continual doubt in Caleb made me want to smack her upside the head.
I liked the secondary characters with both the vampire hunters and Jax and Gemma. I must say that Alec, Olivia's vampire hunter partner, was rather fetching. He was cocky in his abilities, he was sarcastic, protective over Olivia and when he was in over his head, he wasn't too full of himself to ask for help. There's also Jax who is the vampire who took Caleb in shortly after he was turned and Gemma the Dhampire who lives in the house as well. All of these characters really made the story for me.
There was quite a bit of blood and gore in this story as well. Which I must say I rather enjoyed. Too often romance novels, skip the gore and instead play up the romance which is okay if it's a contemporary romance but I liked that these vampires got bloody. There's fighting, killing, bags of blood for nourishment. At no point did you forget that you were reading a book about vampires.
I personally cannot wait to see what happens in the next book since we are left off wondering what will become of Olivia and Caleb. After all she's a vampire charmer who will always have crazed vampires coming after her. Will she learn how to protect herself and return to the comfort of the tree house with Caleb, Jax and Gemma? Or will she join the vampire hunters and help rid the world of their evil?
Favorite quote...
"I should've saved you both. And for that I'll always be sorry. But I could never have let Isaac take you, Olivia. For me, there never was a choice." -Caleb
Olivia was definitely a character that I had a slight issue with. She went from fearing Caleb to falling head over heels in love with him in a couple of days. But no matter how strongly he acted towards her, she still doubted his feelings for her. I'm okay with a little insecurities in my characters because after all, it makes them human. However, her continual doubt in Caleb made me want to smack her upside the head.
I liked the secondary characters with both the vampire hunters and Jax and Gemma. I must say that Alec, Olivia's vampire hunter partner, was rather fetching. He was cocky in his abilities, he was sarcastic, protective over Olivia and when he was in over his head, he wasn't too full of himself to ask for help. There's also Jax who is the vampire who took Caleb in shortly after he was turned and Gemma the Dhampire who lives in the house as well. All of these characters really made the story for me.
There was quite a bit of blood and gore in this story as well. Which I must say I rather enjoyed. Too often romance novels, skip the gore and instead play up the romance which is okay if it's a contemporary romance but I liked that these vampires got bloody. There's fighting, killing, bags of blood for nourishment. At no point did you forget that you were reading a book about vampires.
I personally cannot wait to see what happens in the next book since we are left off wondering what will become of Olivia and Caleb. After all she's a vampire charmer who will always have crazed vampires coming after her. Will she learn how to protect herself and return to the comfort of the tree house with Caleb, Jax and Gemma? Or will she join the vampire hunters and help rid the world of their evil?
Favorite quote...
"I should've saved you both. And for that I'll always be sorry. But I could never have let Isaac take you, Olivia. For me, there never was a choice." -Caleb
December 17, 2012
We have two reviews from Bex 'n' Books reviewers. Both really positive - a lovely 4.5 star review from Justine and a 4 star review from Em - her first for Bex 'n' Books!
Justine's Review
The Charmed, by Christine Wenrick, is easily the best book I have read in months!
I enjoyed EVERY twist and turn as the author seamlessly took me from chapter to chapter. And though at times I got what I call the 'twilight tingles', this is NOT that book. In the time of twenty-five chapters, I found myself more than once crying tears of heart break, throwing fists of fury, and laughing out loud to the point my dog looked at me as though I was disturbed. So what does that leave us with? Yes the ending, which only left me scrambling for the second book to this trilogy. This thank goodness it came out last month!
Em's Review
When I started to read the book I was initially apprehensive as what I would find... well I don’t know what I was worried about, I love a good paranormal romance and Christine Wenrick knows how to write one.
The book was full of intrigue, the characters developed gradually and fully. I became captivated by Olivia and her flowering relationship with Caleb. The love that Caleb had for Olivia became apparent after a few chapters, I found myself wondering (and sometimes out loud) why Olivia hadn’t figured out Caleb’s feelings. When they had both admitted their feelings and Olivia had managed to seduce Caleb, well the sex scenes are well written and produce a powerful image in the readers mind.
The plot to the story is very strong, although I did find a couple of the chapters towards the end in the forest to be a little rushed and would have liked to have them developed more. I did have a feeling of great satisfaction during this part of the book though, I won’t go into too much detail as it will spoil for the readers.
The unwinding tale has you gripped, it makes you wonder why events are happening, I found that I couldn’t put this book down and once I had finished it I found myself wondering what would happen in the next part.
Well done Christine, it’s a great start to a powerful series and I eagerly await the next installment.
Justine's Review
The Charmed, by Christine Wenrick, is easily the best book I have read in months!
I enjoyed EVERY twist and turn as the author seamlessly took me from chapter to chapter. And though at times I got what I call the 'twilight tingles', this is NOT that book. In the time of twenty-five chapters, I found myself more than once crying tears of heart break, throwing fists of fury, and laughing out loud to the point my dog looked at me as though I was disturbed. So what does that leave us with? Yes the ending, which only left me scrambling for the second book to this trilogy. This thank goodness it came out last month!
Em's Review
When I started to read the book I was initially apprehensive as what I would find... well I don’t know what I was worried about, I love a good paranormal romance and Christine Wenrick knows how to write one.
The book was full of intrigue, the characters developed gradually and fully. I became captivated by Olivia and her flowering relationship with Caleb. The love that Caleb had for Olivia became apparent after a few chapters, I found myself wondering (and sometimes out loud) why Olivia hadn’t figured out Caleb’s feelings. When they had both admitted their feelings and Olivia had managed to seduce Caleb, well the sex scenes are well written and produce a powerful image in the readers mind.
The plot to the story is very strong, although I did find a couple of the chapters towards the end in the forest to be a little rushed and would have liked to have them developed more. I did have a feeling of great satisfaction during this part of the book though, I won’t go into too much detail as it will spoil for the readers.
The unwinding tale has you gripped, it makes you wonder why events are happening, I found that I couldn’t put this book down and once I had finished it I found myself wondering what would happen in the next part.
Well done Christine, it’s a great start to a powerful series and I eagerly await the next installment.
May 22, 2013
Deb’s Review:
The Charmed by Christine Wenrick is a delicious spell binding story that will leave you breathless. This is book one in the Charmed Trilogy; I was totally blown away at the enchanting cast and the amazing plot line.
Caleb is a new born vampire, who was drawn to a horrendous train crash, only to find a diamond in the ruff, named Olivia. What shocked Caleb more was how he was drawn to her in that instant. I love…Love this hero! I think Caleb’s sexiness, heart, strength, his stunning way to make me laugh, his loyalty to his family is what makes him a stand out hero in my book. Ms. Wenrick has her readers connecting with Caleb and his inner turmoil.
Olivia has just found herself in the middle of a battle, and she is the prize to the one who can convince her to join their cause. Olivia was a challenge for me up until I hit chapter two, after that I felt better about this heroine. I think for me she became stronger toward the end of the book, her role being deeper, my understanding of her character, much better.
I cannot wait to see what Caleb and Olivia have to offer us in book #2. They endure so much in this first book it is going to be interesting to see how they cope.
Secondary characters truly helped add a zest to both the hero and heroine as well as to the plot line. You have the Daywalkers, The Brethren, and a wacked out vampire that thinks he is the king of all. You cannot get any better than that. There was a connection between Alec and Gemma that had me a bit curious since Jax is half in love with her. I hope I get more of these three, in the next book. I will say at the end of this book, I have some suspicions on a few things, but I can’t say any more than that…{hint spoiler.}
I cannot wait to read book #2!
If you enjoy a different spin on your Vampire stories then pick up The Charmed book #1 in the Charmed Trilogy by Christine Wenrick her amazing talents will draw you in, and leave you craving for more.
Rated 4 Stilettos by Deb!
The Charmed by Christine Wenrick is a delicious spell binding story that will leave you breathless. This is book one in the Charmed Trilogy; I was totally blown away at the enchanting cast and the amazing plot line.
Caleb is a new born vampire, who was drawn to a horrendous train crash, only to find a diamond in the ruff, named Olivia. What shocked Caleb more was how he was drawn to her in that instant. I love…Love this hero! I think Caleb’s sexiness, heart, strength, his stunning way to make me laugh, his loyalty to his family is what makes him a stand out hero in my book. Ms. Wenrick has her readers connecting with Caleb and his inner turmoil.
Olivia has just found herself in the middle of a battle, and she is the prize to the one who can convince her to join their cause. Olivia was a challenge for me up until I hit chapter two, after that I felt better about this heroine. I think for me she became stronger toward the end of the book, her role being deeper, my understanding of her character, much better.
I cannot wait to see what Caleb and Olivia have to offer us in book #2. They endure so much in this first book it is going to be interesting to see how they cope.
Secondary characters truly helped add a zest to both the hero and heroine as well as to the plot line. You have the Daywalkers, The Brethren, and a wacked out vampire that thinks he is the king of all. You cannot get any better than that. There was a connection between Alec and Gemma that had me a bit curious since Jax is half in love with her. I hope I get more of these three, in the next book. I will say at the end of this book, I have some suspicions on a few things, but I can’t say any more than that…{hint spoiler.}
I cannot wait to read book #2!
If you enjoy a different spin on your Vampire stories then pick up The Charmed book #1 in the Charmed Trilogy by Christine Wenrick her amazing talents will draw you in, and leave you craving for more.
Rated 4 Stilettos by Deb!
November 5, 2012
Olivia and Sarah are best friends taking a commuter train back to the city where they attend college. A coven of vampires attach the train causing it to crash. Everyone on the train dies as a result of the accident or feeding vampires, except Olivia. Olivia is saved by Caleb, a person from her past, who doesn’t understand the strong feeling to do anything possible to keep Olivia safe.
Olivia recognizes Caleb with a single touch. Soon they are in love and unusually in tune with each other. As the feelings get stronger and they spend more time together Olivia starts to notice startling changes in herself. When she finds out the reason behind these changes she worries she will have to give Caleb up.
As the first book in a trilogy and the first book I have read from Christine Wenrick I was unsure what to expect. Was this going to be a mushy girl and vampire fall in love or a gross blood sucking everyone dies story? I am happy to say it had a little bit of everything and I loved it.
Calebs coven, which included Jax and Gemma, is a coven of daywalkers who really just want to blend in and fit with regular people when they have to. Isaac’s coven, which is a lot larger, bites people and kills them. They are not wanting to live in the real work and just take what they want, when they want it.
Then there is Caleb and Olivia’s story. OOO LALA! The love they share is unreal. So deep and true. The scene at the piano, OH MY GOSH, it made me blush and I loved every minute of it. The rest of Caleb’s coven, Gemma and Jax, equally interest me. The notes, a.k.a not poems, that Gemma writes and Jax collects make my heart pitter patter. I hope there is more to both stories to be told in Book 2 and Book 3 of this series.
The Charmed is a great story with amazing characters that entertain me from beginning to end. Everyone should just read it, you won’t be sorry.
Olivia recognizes Caleb with a single touch. Soon they are in love and unusually in tune with each other. As the feelings get stronger and they spend more time together Olivia starts to notice startling changes in herself. When she finds out the reason behind these changes she worries she will have to give Caleb up.
As the first book in a trilogy and the first book I have read from Christine Wenrick I was unsure what to expect. Was this going to be a mushy girl and vampire fall in love or a gross blood sucking everyone dies story? I am happy to say it had a little bit of everything and I loved it.
Calebs coven, which included Jax and Gemma, is a coven of daywalkers who really just want to blend in and fit with regular people when they have to. Isaac’s coven, which is a lot larger, bites people and kills them. They are not wanting to live in the real work and just take what they want, when they want it.
Then there is Caleb and Olivia’s story. OOO LALA! The love they share is unreal. So deep and true. The scene at the piano, OH MY GOSH, it made me blush and I loved every minute of it. The rest of Caleb’s coven, Gemma and Jax, equally interest me. The notes, a.k.a not poems, that Gemma writes and Jax collects make my heart pitter patter. I hope there is more to both stories to be told in Book 2 and Book 3 of this series.
The Charmed is a great story with amazing characters that entertain me from beginning to end. Everyone should just read it, you won’t be sorry.
May 22, 2013
(Rating: 3.5) The Charmed literally sucked me in on the first page. Olivia, a college student majoring in music is traveling with her best friend, Sophia on a train. She sees something horrible outside and scares some of the passengers. They think she has a few looses screws but when the train collides with another and cars derail, the terror has just begun. Weird monsters begin attacking the wounded, Olivia and Sophia included. Can the two friends survive the horror they're trapped in?
I'm not telling much more about this gripping and intense book, but I will say I think fans of vampire stories will enjoy The Charmed. I liked main character Olivia, even if she made me raise an eyebrow or two at her occasional immature way of doing things. For a 25-26 year old woman, she can be naive. The new world she finds herself in is strange and yet she is able to begin adjusting to being around vampires, especially Caleb. Yes, there is an insta-love connection between them and Caleb certainly has his brood on, but they begin to work as a couple in my eyes (especially after Olivia realizes something is changing inside her). There are obstacles to face, action, a touch of romance, and other types of vamps and politics to deal with.
The distinct vampire society author Christine Wenrick paints in this first part of the series intrigued me. I liked her own spin on the dhampir and the classifications of vampires she created which helped give this tale a uniqueness which is needed to stand out in today's crowded paranormal genre. I thought her writing was smooth, expressive and Olivia's first-person narration convincing. Even the author's secondary characters (in particular Gemma and Jax) were well-constructed. As a long-time vampire book aficionado, I recommend other fans pick up a copy of The Charmed. (http://www.readergirlsblog.com/2013/0...)
I'm not telling much more about this gripping and intense book, but I will say I think fans of vampire stories will enjoy The Charmed. I liked main character Olivia, even if she made me raise an eyebrow or two at her occasional immature way of doing things. For a 25-26 year old woman, she can be naive. The new world she finds herself in is strange and yet she is able to begin adjusting to being around vampires, especially Caleb. Yes, there is an insta-love connection between them and Caleb certainly has his brood on, but they begin to work as a couple in my eyes (especially after Olivia realizes something is changing inside her). There are obstacles to face, action, a touch of romance, and other types of vamps and politics to deal with.
The distinct vampire society author Christine Wenrick paints in this first part of the series intrigued me. I liked her own spin on the dhampir and the classifications of vampires she created which helped give this tale a uniqueness which is needed to stand out in today's crowded paranormal genre. I thought her writing was smooth, expressive and Olivia's first-person narration convincing. Even the author's secondary characters (in particular Gemma and Jax) were well-constructed. As a long-time vampire book aficionado, I recommend other fans pick up a copy of The Charmed. (http://www.readergirlsblog.com/2013/0...)
December 5, 2012
Amazing! I absolutely LOVED this book! I’d describe it as a combination of Stephanie Meyer’s Twighlight series (but more adult and not sparkly) and Jeanine Frost’s Night Huntress series mixed up with Christine Wenrick’s original voice. It pulls you into the pages, and holds on tight until the very end. There’s a bit of everything in this book, excitement, adventure, love, hate, mystery and much more that any romance and paranormal reader will love!
Olivia is all about her music and her best friend, the only two things in her life that are still around for her and she is content with them both. Very quickly that changes for her when one day while her and her best friend are on a train to the city, it’s viciously attacked by vampires whom cause it to crash and then feed on all left living. Olivia is in shock, vampires exist! Scared out of her mind at the surrounding vamps, she is soon saved by another vampire that just pops out of the blue and sweeps her away. A bit confused, injured and sad, she gets to know the man behind the vampire that has rescued her and what a man he is!
Caleb is a very strong, determined and handsome vampire that is on the side of good as far as vampires are concerned. He’s a fairly new vampire that is still learning all that there’s to know about how not to be a monster like he considers himself to be deep down. He does not want to be like those that attacked the train, he does not want to harm or take human life, and he really is gentle and kind when not in warrior mode. After saving Olivia, he finds he is drawn to her like no other. He wants to explore these feelings fully, but is afraid to do so in fear that he may harm her and then lose her forever.
All in all, a great story, vividly written, excellent characters and an action packed story that allows the reader to truly escape everyday life while reading :)
Olivia is all about her music and her best friend, the only two things in her life that are still around for her and she is content with them both. Very quickly that changes for her when one day while her and her best friend are on a train to the city, it’s viciously attacked by vampires whom cause it to crash and then feed on all left living. Olivia is in shock, vampires exist! Scared out of her mind at the surrounding vamps, she is soon saved by another vampire that just pops out of the blue and sweeps her away. A bit confused, injured and sad, she gets to know the man behind the vampire that has rescued her and what a man he is!
Caleb is a very strong, determined and handsome vampire that is on the side of good as far as vampires are concerned. He’s a fairly new vampire that is still learning all that there’s to know about how not to be a monster like he considers himself to be deep down. He does not want to be like those that attacked the train, he does not want to harm or take human life, and he really is gentle and kind when not in warrior mode. After saving Olivia, he finds he is drawn to her like no other. He wants to explore these feelings fully, but is afraid to do so in fear that he may harm her and then lose her forever.
All in all, a great story, vividly written, excellent characters and an action packed story that allows the reader to truly escape everyday life while reading :)
December 19, 2012
I really wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. The Charmed is about Olivia, a 26 year old woman that suffers a train crash where everyone dies, not only from the crash itself but also because of tad-ah! vampires. I'm not the kind of people that judge books or movies about vampires because of Twilight, I really am not (I love The Vampire Diaries HELLO) so I was not as freaked as everyone was (judging from the reviews) when I realized this was about vampires.
I got really excited when I read that Olivia was 26, that was really refreshing and new to be honest, one gets tired of teenagers eventually. As I said, I was excited until she opened her damn mouth. Yeah, she's 26, she just finished college but for god's sake she acts like a 17 year old brat. I said it, she's annoying, kind of a Mary Sue, and also, her confidence issues got in my nerves rather quickly. Caleb was alright by me, I mean, yes he's your typical overprotective vampire but yeah he's overall fine. They obviously fall in love in the matter of 50 pages but I'm just too used to this to count it as a flaw.
The plot has its holes but nothing really that bad. The whole Dhampir thing was new to me and I rather liked it (I didn't read Vampire Academy, by the way). I enjoyed that Olivia wasn't some weak girl and that she had something special about her. That being said she disappointed me AGAIN and acted like a weak human being even though she was this badass half human half vampire motherfucker.
Moving on, I liked it I guess? Not my favorite book but you know, I had a good time reading it. Don't know if I'll be following the series but we'll see.
By the way I won this book in a giveaway ratherbarefoot made, so thank you!
I got really excited when I read that Olivia was 26, that was really refreshing and new to be honest, one gets tired of teenagers eventually. As I said, I was excited until she opened her damn mouth. Yeah, she's 26, she just finished college but for god's sake she acts like a 17 year old brat. I said it, she's annoying, kind of a Mary Sue, and also, her confidence issues got in my nerves rather quickly. Caleb was alright by me, I mean, yes he's your typical overprotective vampire but yeah he's overall fine. They obviously fall in love in the matter of 50 pages but I'm just too used to this to count it as a flaw.
The plot has its holes but nothing really that bad. The whole Dhampir thing was new to me and I rather liked it (I didn't read Vampire Academy, by the way). I enjoyed that Olivia wasn't some weak girl and that she had something special about her. That being said she disappointed me AGAIN and acted like a weak human being even though she was this badass half human half vampire motherfucker.
Moving on, I liked it I guess? Not my favorite book but you know, I had a good time reading it. Don't know if I'll be following the series but we'll see.
By the way I won this book in a giveaway ratherbarefoot made, so thank you!
October 3, 2012
To have everything you know in your life taken from you or changed in a 6 month time period would be hard for anyone to cope with but to throw a vampire & his coven into the mix is a whole new reality for Olivia. At 26 years old she is in school doing what she loves, playing and composing music. Surviving a train crash was the easiest thing she did on that fateful night, losing someone close to her and then discovering the existence of vampires were the hardest. Ten years before, Olivia met a man who saved her life then lost his own. Now all these years later she sees the same beautiful grey eyes staring at her again. Caleb is now a vampire and he knew the instant he saw Olivia she was the girl from years ago, the same girl that had a magical pull on him. Caleb saves Olivia but they both know she cannot stay with him and his coven. She must go home to the real world and continue her life. Olivia was saved the night of the train wreck but she was hurt, so once her wounds were healed he took her home and again change came to Olivia that she was not expecting. Her past, or should I say her parents past came back to find her, only to throw her into a life she doesn’t want at the time.
I enjoyed this story, the love between the two grew quickly but you can read the magic behind it. The author does not hit you with changes to the characters easily, one minute you are thinking, oh I know where this is going to end up and wham it is taken on a completely different path that makes the whole storyline better. I enjoyed the whole story and am looking forward to book two.
I enjoyed this story, the love between the two grew quickly but you can read the magic behind it. The author does not hit you with changes to the characters easily, one minute you are thinking, oh I know where this is going to end up and wham it is taken on a completely different path that makes the whole storyline better. I enjoyed the whole story and am looking forward to book two.
October 18, 2012
This must be one of the better books I have read in a while and I am really happy that I agreed to review it. It was simply an excellent story and the charachters were well built and thought through.
I absolutely loves her writing style and she really knows how to connect with the reader through her words. The book is written in one perspective but it almost feels like you are getting it from two and I love it. That is what I call good writing.
Wenrick really knows how to capture the emotions in the sub charachters aswell through the eyes of Olivia.
So to the main charachters themself:
Olivia: She is so believable and you can really feel with her. I liked that she was so strong and cool in the whole situation that she goes through. I love that she is almost the same age as myself since I felt that I easier could put myself in her shoes =)
Caleb: Oh my!, what can I say? He is the perfect mix between a lover and a warrior. He sees himself as a monster and hates what he is. Until Olivia walks in to his life and he gradually accepts it more and more. I think it was great that he was kind of a "new" vampire compared to what vampires usually are in these kind of stories.
The story was all in all a very steamy one I must say! Not too much in the love scenes but just perfect lol.
It was exciting and you actually never knew beforehand what was to come.
I recommend it warmly!
I absolutely loves her writing style and she really knows how to connect with the reader through her words. The book is written in one perspective but it almost feels like you are getting it from two and I love it. That is what I call good writing.
Wenrick really knows how to capture the emotions in the sub charachters aswell through the eyes of Olivia.
So to the main charachters themself:
Olivia: She is so believable and you can really feel with her. I liked that she was so strong and cool in the whole situation that she goes through. I love that she is almost the same age as myself since I felt that I easier could put myself in her shoes =)
Caleb: Oh my!, what can I say? He is the perfect mix between a lover and a warrior. He sees himself as a monster and hates what he is. Until Olivia walks in to his life and he gradually accepts it more and more. I think it was great that he was kind of a "new" vampire compared to what vampires usually are in these kind of stories.
The story was all in all a very steamy one I must say! Not too much in the love scenes but just perfect lol.
It was exciting and you actually never knew beforehand what was to come.
I recommend it warmly!
September 20, 2012
Let me start by saying I really liked and enjoyed this book. It was actually a love/hate thing. For the love part, I really like the storyline, the action, how the main characters meet(the second time around), the sexual tension, and eventually the sex, almost everything. For the hate part however, ok so hate is strong word so more like annoyed, but the phrase "shades of gray" appears a few times in the story and some other similarities to Anna's characther. Maybe it's just for me personally because I didn't like 50 Shades, but those similarities and to be honest a few similarities to Twilight, annoyed me a bit as I was reading the book. I couldn't help but think of those books when reading The Charmed, when those similarities popped up. The story was great, and I did finish it quickly picking it up every chance I could, and I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. I would highly reccomend this book. It's a great start for the trilogy.
Emi
http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance....
Emi
http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance....
October 19, 2013
3.5
Favorite things about this Vampire story:
The writing style. It's descriptive and drawn out without making it feel overdone. Challenging to balance that, especially for a debut.
The Characters: Nobody was annoying, even if I found their issues/choices annoying. That's a big plus, in my book.
So, I do not know if the slight Twilighty feel, in some spots,was intended or not and I honesty don't care. I enjoyed the story and I really enjoyed the writing style. I will be continuing on with the series.
It is important to note that even with the beginning having that slight Twilighty feel, the story moves in a different direction and the characters move beyond those things as well. My intention is not to dissuade by uttering the word Twilight. In fact, I think I this story gives us that romantic, softer classic Vampire feel in a much more adult way.
First book in the series is $0.99, full length book. If you're a lover of Vamp stories, it's worth giving it a shot.
Favorite things about this Vampire story:
The writing style. It's descriptive and drawn out without making it feel overdone. Challenging to balance that, especially for a debut.
The Characters: Nobody was annoying, even if I found their issues/choices annoying. That's a big plus, in my book.
So, I do not know if the slight Twilighty feel, in some spots,was intended or not and I honesty don't care. I enjoyed the story and I really enjoyed the writing style. I will be continuing on with the series.
It is important to note that even with the beginning having that slight Twilighty feel, the story moves in a different direction and the characters move beyond those things as well. My intention is not to dissuade by uttering the word Twilight. In fact, I think I this story gives us that romantic, softer classic Vampire feel in a much more adult way.
First book in the series is $0.99, full length book. If you're a lover of Vamp stories, it's worth giving it a shot.
October 22, 2014
Fascinating vampire mythology, I enjoyed this first novel of the Charmed trilogy. Although very dramatic and romanticized, it was still an enjoyable read. The slowly unwinding pace of Olivia's past and who she is was gripping as was her relationship with Caleb. Though nothing is resolutely resolved in this first book, the foundations are set and I am interested in continuing the journey to see where it goes. Though a little predictable at times it wasn't disappointingly so but more that the novel flowed there simply. There are moments when Olivia is very immature, but she is self-aware and takes responsibility for herself which I respect.
July 31, 2013
First in a series of three books about the love story between Olivia, a mid-20's music student/composer and Caleb, the vampire that saved her as a young teen and again when the commuter train she is on with her best friend, derails and the wreckage is set-upon by vampires. Caleb and Olivia begin to fall for each other, Olivia notices some changes that indicates she might not be fully human. Other vampires can't seem to resit Olivia and a group of vampire hunters want her as well.
A quick read, likeable characters, good for paranormal romance/chick-lit fans.
A quick read, likeable characters, good for paranormal romance/chick-lit fans.
August 13, 2013
Somehow I didn't know I was getting into a vampire book, till I was already into it. Yuck. Seriously, I was willing to forgive it for being a vampire book, the first one I've ever read. But then, graphic sex that I didn't start skimming over quickly enough. I still feel annoyed by that. Too bad, 'cause the writer seemed to be quite competent at her craft.
November 30, 2012
OMG -
This was such an awesome book! LOVE LOVE LOVE How this ended! I can't wait to get started on the next book.
If you love some action, some supernatural and some lovin! then this is the book for you!!!!
This was such an awesome book! LOVE LOVE LOVE How this ended! I can't wait to get started on the next book.
If you love some action, some supernatural and some lovin! then this is the book for you!!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews