Bone Dressing: The Dreaming

Bone Dressing #2

by Michelle I. Brooks

The time for best friends and midnight escapes to the cemetery Syd calls home is over.

As Syd faces the dangerous mysteries lurking in the shadowed depths of her past, she must sail from the shores of sanity through the rocky waters of the unknown on her journey to the sleeping bones of her next past-life. Caught on a roller coaster ride through mysterious cultures, rogue mercenary pirates, past loves and new-found abilities, Syd must find the strength to listen to her own heart. She must find a way to embrace her destiny, her future … and her past.
Help continues to come through the unlikely team of Sarah and T.J., Syd’s personal time-challenged dynamic duo. Blipping on and off her radar at the worst times, they never seem to be front and center when she really needs them. And Beau … when will she be able to function, to breathe, in his presence? What is her inescapable connection to him? And why can’t he admit his attraction to her?

Off on a race against time, against evil-incarnate, against her own fears and passions, Syd must turn to the strength within. To the strength of Bone Dressing. Bone Dressing: The Dreaming, the second in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau further on their adventure that transcends life itself.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy

494 pages, ebook

First published November 11, 2012

About the author

Author, adventurer, world traveler, habanero lover, kissing enthusiast. Bone Dressing is my Dark MatureYA Paranormal Romance series of seven novels in eBook and paperback.

Reviews

[Michelle Cornwell-Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bone Dressing: The Dreaming is the second book that tells the story of Syd, a young woman who had recently discovered that her affinity for late night cemetary roaming meant more than just being a unique hobby. Throughout her life Syd only felt peace when in the quiet of the cemetery, there she felt she fit in, where everywhere else she did not. Syd had recently discovered the reason why, was because she actually was more than just normal teenage girl, she discovered that she had many past lives and she was on a journey to each past life, where she must learn a lesson, and in that lesson,right a wrong and heal apart of herself. The prominent life was as Rachel, a young woman, very much in love with Jesse, whom she married but he was soon killed soon after she became his bride. Syd discovered as Rachel, she also had given birth to a son, who had been killed by the same evil that stalks her now on her journey. Syd discovered that she also was a shifter, that she can change primarily into the great Eagle; with her greatest memories being when she soared with Jesse. Now here in the present, in Bone Dressing: The Dreaming, Syd/Rachel is coming more to grips with who she is and what she is capable of, and also her blossoming attraction and passion for Beau. In him she is seeing her Jesse, but she struggles against all of this, fighting what is taking place. Syd and Beau are on a journey, sailing down

by the Gulf Of Mexico, where Syd is learning more of her powers, now also shifting not only into the great Eagle but Brown bear, she is learning control, coming to grips with a new "past life: and its lessons, and discovering what she and Beau mean to one another. But during all of this, evil is still fast on their heels.

I enjoyed Bone Dressing:The Dreaming as much, if not more than Bone Dressing, which I loved! Michelle Brooks incredible description, gives a poetic flavor to the story. Reading Bone Dressing: The Dreaming, places the reader in a state of dreaming; all the surreal, soul lifting events that can occur in dreams, from transcending time, being anything and anyone you want, and loving passionately and forever, is the stuff of dreams. So Michelle Brooks gives the reader this breathless experience through her writing, and her story of the feisty Syd. I look forward to more of the story, I believe my favorite are the scenes when Syd remembers her love for Jesse, it is incredibly passionate, and leaves the reader wishing and wanting the characters to be re-connected, across the expanse of time, but also there is a sense of satisfaction with what is happening with Beau...if only the stubborn Syd would allow it:)

I look forward to the next adventure, this is a must read for those open-minded to allow themselves to be taken on this grand journey. It is full of twist and turns, not a simple re-telling, but an experience

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book after having to put it down and then start it over because I was moving and then other things happened.

I love Syd, she's my favorite female character. I love that she is understanding herself and is slowing growing through out the books. She has a mouth that no matter what just keeps going. Syd has her fears and she has her moments when she's paralyzed by it but she over comes it and keeps going.

Beau is the force that keeps Syd going when she needs that extra push. He and Sarah both are all the support Syd needs. The chemistry between Beau and Syd can set the pages on fire. Their relationship is slowly developing as Syd goes back into each life.

In the first book she lost Jesse and now Jem. Each one a painful lose but with each loss Syd learns something about herself. Mr. A is the devil himself, who torments Syd in each life. He's purely evil and his actions confuse Syd. With each book comes more questions.

Guess I'll be checking the Michelle I. Brooks website till the next book comes out.

My experience with Bone Dressing and this book has been that I can't put them down unless something happens and keeps me from them. I can't wait for book 3. Something needs to happen between Syd and Beau before they combust. When it does, it's going to be scorching hot. Highly recommend this book to anyone over the age of 17.

[Unabridged Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bone Dressing: The Dreaming is another crazy but interesting installment in the Bone Dressing series. Bone Dressing was the very first review request I ever received and I could not be happier to be asked to continue the series. In the first book, Sydney experiences one of her past lives. In The Dreaming, Sydney travels to Australia to experience another past life in the hope of learning from her past self’s mistakes and gain the power and knowledge to defeat the creepy Mr. A

Sydney and Beau’s relationship is continuing to grow as their feelings continue to deepen. Sydney, who was scared of letting anyone in after losing her parents, has created a family with Beau, Sarah, and T.J. This new love and family allows Sydney to grow as a character and gives readers a different side of Sydney.

I will have to say that Mr. A is even more sadistic than he is the first time. A few scenes had me absolutely disgusted by his behavior. I also felt it is only fair to warn readers that there is sexual content in this book, one instance in peculiar that may be better suited for an older audience, so please keep that in mind.

Bone Dressing deals with past lives and reincarnation, something not usually taken on in book. That choice offers readers a difference when too many novels are becoming similar. I am interested to see where and what time Sydney is going to explore next.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Bone Dressing – the first installment in Michelle Brooks’ Bone Dressing Series. I couldn’t wait to get more of Beau and Syd, not to mention T.J. and Sarah. I was even looking forward to more confrontations with Mr. ‘A’. What I wasn’t expecting was to be even more enthralled with this story than I was before.

The Dreaming continues the story of Syd and her quest to right wrongs that that occurred in past lives. The concept is totally unique and that combined with Brooks’ descriptive writing style, a flair for action and her flowing dialogue make Syd’s story genuinely entertaining. How entertaining? Well, for this review I decided to try something a little different. Since I don’t really think that I can do the book justice by just talking about it, I thought maybe I should just let the book speak for itself.

So, do you like books that start with bang? How’s this for an opening paragraph?

“Shit! What the hell are you doing?” My body slammed up against the ship’s central mast and bounced off, not slowing down the slightest bit with the sudden change of direction. Immediately I ricocheted against Beau’s chest before crashing right back into the mast, the salt water splashing off the solid wood post, stinging my eyes like a hive full of hostile bees. My eyelids slammed closed in a last-ditch attempt at self-preservation. God, my eyes were on fire! It felt like they were going to burn a hole through my skin and go rolling across the deck any second.

And then there is the romance. Oh yes, the romance. There is a an undeniable attraction between Syd and Beau that transcends time.

As our lips met, the world simply ceased to exist. There was just this moment, Beau, me, the water lapping at our bodies, caressing us with its cool blessings of life and love. Beau’s hands slid up my shoulders, weaving into the hair at the back of my head, pulling me desperately deeper within his kiss… within his embrace… within him.

How about the macabre? An aspect of the story that is so dark it’s actually mesmerizing?

My head turned suddenly, following a couple who’d just come around the path from behind me. They were dressed up like a bride and groom. A rotting, decomposing bride and groom, yes, but a bride and groom nonetheless. Deep, dark eye sockets gazed longingly at one another, full of love and adoration, despite their current decrepit state. As they joined the crowd of dancing bodies he took her bone-drawn hand, twirling her into the center of the skeleton ball.

So, are you convinced? Like I said, I really liked Bone Dressing, but I was even more impressed with The Dreaming. I’m thinking that this is one series that is just going to get better and better with each installment. It has a little bit of everything. Romance, humor, mystery, magic and more than enough action. Because of the language (mainly from Syd… Beau just can’t keep her mouth under control) and the sexual situations and violence, I wouldn’t categorize this as YA. Maybe older teens or New Adult, but definitely not younger teens. Book 2 is a lot more intense in every way, but that intensity was an integral part of The Dreaming. Anything less wouldn’t have stayed true to the characters or the story.

The Bone Dressing Series will include 7 books so there is a lot more action in store for Syd, Beau, T.J., Sarah and Mr. “A” in the coming books. The next book in the series is The Awakening and I can’t wait to see where in the world or the past, this cast of characters ends up next.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

less monolouge than the first. better in some ways, worse in others. sometimes i like syd's past lives better than her current one!