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Last Regress
Alyssa Matthews thought she had an explanation for everything. After all, as a slightly sceptical paranormal investigator that was what she was used to doing; researching, observing and explaining.
So when she began writing a paper about a long forgotten case of death by Spontaneous Human Combustion, she assumed it would be a run-of-the-mill piece. Little did she realise that she was about to be plunged into a situation that would not only force her to question her own sanity, but also her scepticism about the nature of the paranormal.
Not to mention the dreams that just wouldn’t go away...
So when she began writing a paper about a long forgotten case of death by Spontaneous Human Combustion, she assumed it would be a run-of-the-mill piece. Little did she realise that she was about to be plunged into a situation that would not only force her to question her own sanity, but also her scepticism about the nature of the paranormal.
Not to mention the dreams that just wouldn’t go away...
ebook
First published July 15, 2012
27 people want to read
About the author
Rachael J. Thorne
3 books3 followersRachael J. Thorne is trying to make it in the world as an indie author between tending her garden and being a geek!
She lives in Essex, UK with her husband and crazy dog.
LAST REGRESS is her first novel and she is currently working on her second, RUNNING FOR A LIFE.
She lives in Essex, UK with her husband and crazy dog.
LAST REGRESS is her first novel and she is currently working on her second, RUNNING FOR A LIFE.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 16, 2012
More than a paranormal book, this is one of the best love story books I have read in a long time.The author did a superb job on describing the ambient and the feelings of our main character, Alyssa.
The plot is quite simple: Alyssa is a young woman who lost her parents and after being able to establish herself and finding a job, she left the foster home she was living, without ever creating any bounds with any of the multiple foster-parents she had during the years. As per her best (and only) friend's suggestion (Greg), she started on a job to study paranormal cases and after two years working on that, she was working on a case to study the death of a man from spontaneous combustion from the inside out (Cain Andrews). She is very sceptical with everything related to paranormal, but suddenly she starts having dreams about dark entities trying to grab her. And then someone unexpected appears to protect her, forcing her to question her own sanity. And from there things develop in an unexpected way and you will not be able to put the book down till the end. The description of the "parallel universe" where Nathaniel and Cain Andrews develop a strong friendship and all the plots and nuances that happens behind the scenes compose the secondary drama that is very well linked to the main story.
This book is both a paranormal novel and a tale of love and sacrifice that will be remembered long after the last page has been turned.
I recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader who loves a very well written paranormal/love story. It took me around 8 hours to read the whole book.
This book was written by Rachael J.Thorne and I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing in electronic format. I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.
The plot is quite simple: Alyssa is a young woman who lost her parents and after being able to establish herself and finding a job, she left the foster home she was living, without ever creating any bounds with any of the multiple foster-parents she had during the years. As per her best (and only) friend's suggestion (Greg), she started on a job to study paranormal cases and after two years working on that, she was working on a case to study the death of a man from spontaneous combustion from the inside out (Cain Andrews). She is very sceptical with everything related to paranormal, but suddenly she starts having dreams about dark entities trying to grab her. And then someone unexpected appears to protect her, forcing her to question her own sanity. And from there things develop in an unexpected way and you will not be able to put the book down till the end. The description of the "parallel universe" where Nathaniel and Cain Andrews develop a strong friendship and all the plots and nuances that happens behind the scenes compose the secondary drama that is very well linked to the main story.
This book is both a paranormal novel and a tale of love and sacrifice that will be remembered long after the last page has been turned.
I recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader who loves a very well written paranormal/love story. It took me around 8 hours to read the whole book.
This book was written by Rachael J.Thorne and I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing in electronic format. I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.
October 18, 2012
Last Regress was an interesting and terrifying novel that made one think deeply about life and death and the bridge between the two. It was dark and haunting, but with a love story that connects the living with the dead and provides a bit of light on an otherwise dark tale.
We follow Alyssa, a young and slightly depressed woman as she begins work on a case file at her job as a paranormal investigator. This particular case file is strange in that the ruling of cause of death of the subject Cain, was Spontaneous Human Combustion and despite some strangeness of the case, it was never looked into any deeper. Alyssa is convinced foul play was involved and sought to bring it to light.
As Alyssa gets involved in the case, she and her friend Greg discover a CD Cain recorded prior to dying. As they listen to the CD, Alyssa is mentally transported to another plane/dimension where horrible and good things happen. Upon her return, nothing is quite the same. She begins seeing a ghost, dark shadows come for her at night, and her friend Greg begins to wonder about her sanity. All of these events coalesce until they end in one big finale.
As a character, I didn't much like Alyssa. She began the book really depressed due to a prior break up and spent the duration of the novel giving me the feeling that she was weak and vulnerable. She psychoanalyzes everything and spends the duration of the book panicking about what may or may not happen when she gets ready to go asleep. She's a paranormal investigator for crying out loud. You'd think she would be at least a little open about the possibility that ghosts exist and stop thinking she's going crazy.
Greg, her best friend, also didn't always appeal to me. When Alyssa came to him talking about what she believed she was seeing at night, he seemed to automatically think she was going crazy. A true friend (at least any of my friends) would most likely take your comments and not make you feel crazy for what you think you saw. A real friend would say "Hmmm, maybe that could be it, or maybe all the work you're doing may be carrying over into your personal life. Either way, how about I stay with you tonight and make sure everything works out smoothly." Instead, he basically just brushed it off and said she was seeing things because her work is carrying over into her personal life and she needs to just get over it.
Cain, the love interest, was interesting. He seemed to be a tortured soul much like Alyssa so in that way I guess they fit well. He was her protector from the shadows and he seemed to care a lot about her. My issue though is that it was insta-love. Unlike some of you though, I don't always mind insta-love if I can see where it grows from. In this case though, it seemed like too much too fast. I just couldn't connect with it.
As a whole the book was interesting. I liked the concept of what happens after death, and the ways the dead can look back at those they left behind and all that. I also liked the idea that delving in too much knowledge could possibly be a bad thing (Take that Teachers of the world!) In terms of pacing the book was okay. It started off a bit slow and the point of view seemed to switch to random characters life stories I wasn't interested in like, for example, Nathaniel, but I guess it was kind of necessary in the grand scheme of things. This book wasn't completely realistic to me though and kind of reminded me of a Soap Opera sometimes. It got too dramatic too fast and the conversations seemed a bit too formal. Finally, there were a few plot holes that I wish were filled.
Last Regress delved into the possibility that what we think is on the "other side" may well be nothing like what really is on the other side. It theorized that love can still be found after death and that there are more forces at work in the world than we actually know. I would suggest it to those that like creepy terror style books. It's not terribly scary, but if you're one of those people who are deathly afraid of the dark. I'd suggest you don't read it. My score is 2.5 stars.
We follow Alyssa, a young and slightly depressed woman as she begins work on a case file at her job as a paranormal investigator. This particular case file is strange in that the ruling of cause of death of the subject Cain, was Spontaneous Human Combustion and despite some strangeness of the case, it was never looked into any deeper. Alyssa is convinced foul play was involved and sought to bring it to light.
As Alyssa gets involved in the case, she and her friend Greg discover a CD Cain recorded prior to dying. As they listen to the CD, Alyssa is mentally transported to another plane/dimension where horrible and good things happen. Upon her return, nothing is quite the same. She begins seeing a ghost, dark shadows come for her at night, and her friend Greg begins to wonder about her sanity. All of these events coalesce until they end in one big finale.
As a character, I didn't much like Alyssa. She began the book really depressed due to a prior break up and spent the duration of the novel giving me the feeling that she was weak and vulnerable. She psychoanalyzes everything and spends the duration of the book panicking about what may or may not happen when she gets ready to go asleep. She's a paranormal investigator for crying out loud. You'd think she would be at least a little open about the possibility that ghosts exist and stop thinking she's going crazy.
Greg, her best friend, also didn't always appeal to me. When Alyssa came to him talking about what she believed she was seeing at night, he seemed to automatically think she was going crazy. A true friend (at least any of my friends) would most likely take your comments and not make you feel crazy for what you think you saw. A real friend would say "Hmmm, maybe that could be it, or maybe all the work you're doing may be carrying over into your personal life. Either way, how about I stay with you tonight and make sure everything works out smoothly." Instead, he basically just brushed it off and said she was seeing things because her work is carrying over into her personal life and she needs to just get over it.
Cain, the love interest, was interesting. He seemed to be a tortured soul much like Alyssa so in that way I guess they fit well. He was her protector from the shadows and he seemed to care a lot about her. My issue though is that it was insta-love. Unlike some of you though, I don't always mind insta-love if I can see where it grows from. In this case though, it seemed like too much too fast. I just couldn't connect with it.
As a whole the book was interesting. I liked the concept of what happens after death, and the ways the dead can look back at those they left behind and all that. I also liked the idea that delving in too much knowledge could possibly be a bad thing (Take that Teachers of the world!) In terms of pacing the book was okay. It started off a bit slow and the point of view seemed to switch to random characters life stories I wasn't interested in like, for example, Nathaniel, but I guess it was kind of necessary in the grand scheme of things. This book wasn't completely realistic to me though and kind of reminded me of a Soap Opera sometimes. It got too dramatic too fast and the conversations seemed a bit too formal. Finally, there were a few plot holes that I wish were filled.
Last Regress delved into the possibility that what we think is on the "other side" may well be nothing like what really is on the other side. It theorized that love can still be found after death and that there are more forces at work in the world than we actually know. I would suggest it to those that like creepy terror style books. It's not terribly scary, but if you're one of those people who are deathly afraid of the dark. I'd suggest you don't read it. My score is 2.5 stars.
January 6, 2013
After being brutally dumped by her boyfriend, Alyssa Matthews decides to make some changes, starting with her job. She is now a paranormal investigator and loves every minute of it. That was, until, she picked up the strange case of a man who appeared to have died of spontaneous human combustion. She just can't get this case out of her head. Literally. She is obsessed with it and it is starting to cause her problems. She is starting to see weird things, like creatures in her room at night.
Her best friend, Greg, is more than a little worried about her. Especially now that she swears there is this weird man in her house. He knows she needs some professional help, but will he be too late?
I don't usually read paranormal books but I took a chance on this one because spontaneous human combustion kind of fascinates me. I am so glad I decided to give it a go! This book has everything you need for a successful read. It's funny, creepy and there's even a little romance!
Alyssa was a pretty likable character. She's very lonely with no family and only one friend, Greg, and because of this she works a little harder than she should. She fills her nights and weekends with the strange cases from work and has a good sense of humor. Oh yea, she is also losing her mind. She hasn't slept in weeks, ever since starting this new case. She's been having crazy nightmares with dark creatures crawling along her walls and trying to attack her. And now they seemed to have escalated because there is a rather strange man hanging out in her bedroom too.
The paranormal aspect of this story was quite fascinating. Rachael has invented a strange portal to other places where people may go after they die. I really enjoyed this part of the story and learning the life stories of some of the other characters. I was sucked in immediately by the story of Nathaniel, a man living in the other realm.
There is of course, also a little romance. I can't go deeper than that because it will totally give away a major plot point, but man! I was so desperate for this to work and I just couldn't wrap my head around how it could be done and it killed me that these two characters might not end up together.
Overall, I found Last Regress to be a very inventive, fascinating read. I inhaled this book quickly, not wanting to stop for anything. While some of my questions were not completely answered in this story, it is left open for a sequel so I am hoping that will be the case.
If you are a lover of paranormal or just looking for a fresh plot with lots of twists and turns, I highly recommend you go download yourself a copy of this book right now!
Her best friend, Greg, is more than a little worried about her. Especially now that she swears there is this weird man in her house. He knows she needs some professional help, but will he be too late?
I don't usually read paranormal books but I took a chance on this one because spontaneous human combustion kind of fascinates me. I am so glad I decided to give it a go! This book has everything you need for a successful read. It's funny, creepy and there's even a little romance!
Alyssa was a pretty likable character. She's very lonely with no family and only one friend, Greg, and because of this she works a little harder than she should. She fills her nights and weekends with the strange cases from work and has a good sense of humor. Oh yea, she is also losing her mind. She hasn't slept in weeks, ever since starting this new case. She's been having crazy nightmares with dark creatures crawling along her walls and trying to attack her. And now they seemed to have escalated because there is a rather strange man hanging out in her bedroom too.
The paranormal aspect of this story was quite fascinating. Rachael has invented a strange portal to other places where people may go after they die. I really enjoyed this part of the story and learning the life stories of some of the other characters. I was sucked in immediately by the story of Nathaniel, a man living in the other realm.
There is of course, also a little romance. I can't go deeper than that because it will totally give away a major plot point, but man! I was so desperate for this to work and I just couldn't wrap my head around how it could be done and it killed me that these two characters might not end up together.
Overall, I found Last Regress to be a very inventive, fascinating read. I inhaled this book quickly, not wanting to stop for anything. While some of my questions were not completely answered in this story, it is left open for a sequel so I am hoping that will be the case.
If you are a lover of paranormal or just looking for a fresh plot with lots of twists and turns, I highly recommend you go download yourself a copy of this book right now!
January 23, 2013
Alyssa is a lonely girl and we spend the first half of the book finding out about her life growing up, what happened to her parents and what happened in the relationship with Alex. We discover how deep her bond is with her drop dead gorgeous but gay best friend Greg, who is the only true friend/family that she has now. Apart from him the only other person in her life is her boss, Dave. They both work at a Paranormal Research company where they document cases and print their developments in their newspaper.
Since Alyssa has started a new case to research about she is having trouble sleeping and believes she is having nightmares. She confides in Greg and he is beginning to wonder if stress is bringing on her issues. Alyssa spends time with Greg, confiding all her problems in him and the more he thinks about it, the more he tries to convince her that it is all in her head. The black creatures in her room are not real and there are no such things as ghosts.
The first half of the book was pretty slow for me as we find out about Alyssa’s past and what she is dealing with now. She doesn’t have many people in her life to open up to so she spends a lot of time alone and over analyses everything that is going on around her. She starts to believe she is going insane and repeats the same arguments in her head.
The second half of the book was better as there was a bit more action. We learn more about the other plane of existence and how the souls end up there. It gave more depth to the story and I enjoyed learning about Cain. He is a beautiful soul and cares very deeply for Alyssa. They have an unusual relationship and seem to be getting closer the longer they spend together.
It was a bit of an emotional journey where one girl struggles with who she is and is looking for more in life. She found a connection with someone that she can never have. She deals with rejection poorly as her life has been depressing so far and believes she no longer has anyone to turn to. This was the beginning of something bigger in life after death and the war that is on the horizon.
I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
Since Alyssa has started a new case to research about she is having trouble sleeping and believes she is having nightmares. She confides in Greg and he is beginning to wonder if stress is bringing on her issues. Alyssa spends time with Greg, confiding all her problems in him and the more he thinks about it, the more he tries to convince her that it is all in her head. The black creatures in her room are not real and there are no such things as ghosts.
The first half of the book was pretty slow for me as we find out about Alyssa’s past and what she is dealing with now. She doesn’t have many people in her life to open up to so she spends a lot of time alone and over analyses everything that is going on around her. She starts to believe she is going insane and repeats the same arguments in her head.
The second half of the book was better as there was a bit more action. We learn more about the other plane of existence and how the souls end up there. It gave more depth to the story and I enjoyed learning about Cain. He is a beautiful soul and cares very deeply for Alyssa. They have an unusual relationship and seem to be getting closer the longer they spend together.
It was a bit of an emotional journey where one girl struggles with who she is and is looking for more in life. She found a connection with someone that she can never have. She deals with rejection poorly as her life has been depressing so far and believes she no longer has anyone to turn to. This was the beginning of something bigger in life after death and the war that is on the horizon.
I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2012
This book was so different from anything I´ve read before! In the beginning of this book I thought it was kind of slow. We get to know so much about our heroine´s thoughts that it feels like time stops or slows down just so she can think and think and think. It almost disturbs the conversation she has, for the reader, because she thinks to much. But if you can overcome that, which I did, you will love this book! It was so good. I guess all this thinking/describing is a writing style I am not all that used to. It is usually more common in fantasy so I was not expecting that but once I accepted it, I loved this book.
The Love story is completely amazing, even though it happens kind of quickly. The fall hard and they fall fast for each other and there is just one problem with their relationship. She is alive and he is dead! Not an easy obstacle and that just makes this even more amazing! you can really feel the desperation they feel over their situation. But there are also other forces that keeps them apart to further complicate things!
I also love the side characters in this book like our heroine´s best friend, who loves her dearly, but he has a hard time dealing with her situation and thinks she is slowly going mad. He feels really protective of her and he does not really know how to handle the fact that someone he loves is, according to him, falling victim to madness. We also have our hero´s mentor. He is a really lovely and supportive character to our hero and he has become more than just a mentor, he is a friend. A friend who hates to see his charge suffer.
But love is not all this story is about! There is something dark luring in the shadows and something much bigger than two people, dead or alive, at work here. And it gives this book an exciting twist, and not to mention that the ending took me completely by surprise. It was not what I expected!
This book made me cry a lot but also put a smile to my face so this is so worth your time! You have to read this one! You won´t be sorry I promise!
The Love story is completely amazing, even though it happens kind of quickly. The fall hard and they fall fast for each other and there is just one problem with their relationship. She is alive and he is dead! Not an easy obstacle and that just makes this even more amazing! you can really feel the desperation they feel over their situation. But there are also other forces that keeps them apart to further complicate things!
I also love the side characters in this book like our heroine´s best friend, who loves her dearly, but he has a hard time dealing with her situation and thinks she is slowly going mad. He feels really protective of her and he does not really know how to handle the fact that someone he loves is, according to him, falling victim to madness. We also have our hero´s mentor. He is a really lovely and supportive character to our hero and he has become more than just a mentor, he is a friend. A friend who hates to see his charge suffer.
But love is not all this story is about! There is something dark luring in the shadows and something much bigger than two people, dead or alive, at work here. And it gives this book an exciting twist, and not to mention that the ending took me completely by surprise. It was not what I expected!
This book made me cry a lot but also put a smile to my face so this is so worth your time! You have to read this one! You won´t be sorry I promise!
October 20, 2012
Rating: 3.5/5
Last Regress is a paranormal romance that will make you cry more than once and will make your heart beat fast with every romantic scene.
Last Regress presents us Alyssa, a woman in her late twenties working for the “Institute of Paranormal Research, Cambridge”. She deals with paranormal phenomenon in her daily basis but she still isn’t ready for what is to come. When Cain enters her life, things will never be the same. Her sanity will be tested and also her friendship with Greg.
The book has a slow start for my taste. It does a well job describing the characters, where the story is set and a bit of the past, but in the first chapter I didn’t know what to expect. However, after our first encounter with the mysterious guy and the dark shadows everything starts to move on fast.
Alyssa, Cain, Greg and Nathaniel are very well described and in few chapters you get a pretty nice idea of their personalities. Cain is my favorite not only he has the most romantics dialogues he seems a tridimensional character that you can actually see as a real person. Alyssa is a bit depressive; she has lived most of her live in the shadow of her existence and has a peculiar personality. On one hand she has a hard time figuring out who the mysterious man is (in my opinion it was obvious from the start) and then she refuse to accept the truth. But her most memorable moment is when she takes some bad decisions (they are good to the story and help to the book to move on but it wasn’t my favorite Alyssa’s moment).
Overall, the paranormal part of the book is well built and it makes you want to read more. the characters complete the story and you can see more books in the future because the story leaves some paths open for future adventures.
(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review).
Last Regress is a paranormal romance that will make you cry more than once and will make your heart beat fast with every romantic scene.
Last Regress presents us Alyssa, a woman in her late twenties working for the “Institute of Paranormal Research, Cambridge”. She deals with paranormal phenomenon in her daily basis but she still isn’t ready for what is to come. When Cain enters her life, things will never be the same. Her sanity will be tested and also her friendship with Greg.
The book has a slow start for my taste. It does a well job describing the characters, where the story is set and a bit of the past, but in the first chapter I didn’t know what to expect. However, after our first encounter with the mysterious guy and the dark shadows everything starts to move on fast.
Alyssa, Cain, Greg and Nathaniel are very well described and in few chapters you get a pretty nice idea of their personalities. Cain is my favorite not only he has the most romantics dialogues he seems a tridimensional character that you can actually see as a real person. Alyssa is a bit depressive; she has lived most of her live in the shadow of her existence and has a peculiar personality. On one hand she has a hard time figuring out who the mysterious man is (in my opinion it was obvious from the start) and then she refuse to accept the truth. But her most memorable moment is when she takes some bad decisions (they are good to the story and help to the book to move on but it wasn’t my favorite Alyssa’s moment).
Overall, the paranormal part of the book is well built and it makes you want to read more. the characters complete the story and you can see more books in the future because the story leaves some paths open for future adventures.
(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review).
April 8, 2013
Synopsis: "Alyssa Matthews thought she had an explanation for everything. After all, as a slightly sceptical paranormal investigator that was what she was used to doing; researching, observing and explaining.
So when she began writing a paper about a long forgotten case of death by Spontaneous Human Combustion, she assumed it would be a run-of-the-mill piece. Little did she realise that she was about to be plunged into a situation that would not only force her to question her own sanity, but also her scepticism about the nature of the paranormal.
Not to mention the dreams that just wouldn’t go away..."
My Review: Last Regress was sent to me by the author for an honest review. It took quite a while for this book to build up steam. I felt like the first several chapters just kept repeating themselves, I don't know if that was by design to draw the readers into Alyssa's possible psychosis. Honestly, Alyssa drove me a little crazy and definitely was not my favorite character, I much preferred Nathaniel and Cain with their perspective stories. As compared to what we are all use to with paranormal being witches, vampires and shapeshifters; Thorne takes a much more traditional approach to paranormal with ghosts, other dimensions and dabbling in chants and black magic. I was really hoping for the spontaneous human combustion to take a much stronger role in the book but sadly it only made a brief appearance. Another thing that caught me a little off guard is the romance, it doesn't really build so much as that it is suddenly very there. With all that said, Thorne did a fantastic job with the Dark Ones and creating the scare factor for me. I honestly had to set the book aside for a little while so I would stop looking for creepy shadows in the corners of the room every night.
So when she began writing a paper about a long forgotten case of death by Spontaneous Human Combustion, she assumed it would be a run-of-the-mill piece. Little did she realise that she was about to be plunged into a situation that would not only force her to question her own sanity, but also her scepticism about the nature of the paranormal.
Not to mention the dreams that just wouldn’t go away..."
My Review: Last Regress was sent to me by the author for an honest review. It took quite a while for this book to build up steam. I felt like the first several chapters just kept repeating themselves, I don't know if that was by design to draw the readers into Alyssa's possible psychosis. Honestly, Alyssa drove me a little crazy and definitely was not my favorite character, I much preferred Nathaniel and Cain with their perspective stories. As compared to what we are all use to with paranormal being witches, vampires and shapeshifters; Thorne takes a much more traditional approach to paranormal with ghosts, other dimensions and dabbling in chants and black magic. I was really hoping for the spontaneous human combustion to take a much stronger role in the book but sadly it only made a brief appearance. Another thing that caught me a little off guard is the romance, it doesn't really build so much as that it is suddenly very there. With all that said, Thorne did a fantastic job with the Dark Ones and creating the scare factor for me. I honestly had to set the book aside for a little while so I would stop looking for creepy shadows in the corners of the room every night.
December 13, 2012
Last Regress is a very original, emotional and spooky read that leaves you wanting more of its characters and the whole experience that’s within. I can honestly say there is a bit of everything in here; love, romance, thrills, chills, mystery, suspense, excitement and much more. It is not a read for those that cannot handle a bit of gore, but a definite must read for those that enjoy a different type of paranormal romance without too much heat.
Allyson is a woman that comes off as very lonely and sad, yet strong and determined. Her life experiences have brought her much pain and sorrow, but she keeps going strong. Once a woman’s heart is shattered to pieces, it takes a lot of time to pick them up and put it back together again. Being a paranormal investigator and having an incredible best friend has helped her immensely. But her practice and beliefs are all questioned when she opens an old case file to start working on and things in her life become unreal and unbelievable. Knowing what is a dream and what is reality becomes more and more difficult for her as time goes on. The man haunting her dreams even visits her while awake. Can someone fall in love with a man that is just a dream, a figment of the imagination to such an extreme it hurts? You're all going to have to read and see for yourself and be ready for loads of surprises :)
Rachael J. Thorne has created a new paranormal world for us to enjoy and leaves you wanting more!
Allyson is a woman that comes off as very lonely and sad, yet strong and determined. Her life experiences have brought her much pain and sorrow, but she keeps going strong. Once a woman’s heart is shattered to pieces, it takes a lot of time to pick them up and put it back together again. Being a paranormal investigator and having an incredible best friend has helped her immensely. But her practice and beliefs are all questioned when she opens an old case file to start working on and things in her life become unreal and unbelievable. Knowing what is a dream and what is reality becomes more and more difficult for her as time goes on. The man haunting her dreams even visits her while awake. Can someone fall in love with a man that is just a dream, a figment of the imagination to such an extreme it hurts? You're all going to have to read and see for yourself and be ready for loads of surprises :)
Rachael J. Thorne has created a new paranormal world for us to enjoy and leaves you wanting more!
December 29, 2012
After a devastating breakup with her boyfriend, Alyssa’s best fried Greg encourages her to get a job at the local paranormal research institute. Alyssa’s thrown herself into her work to escape the pain and loneliness she feels constantly. She enjoys going through cold cases and seeing what she can uncover, especially with her skeptic’s eye. The latest case she’s delving into is a case of SHC or Spontaneous Human Combustion. Yet it doesn’t exactly fit the pattern of SHC. As Alyssa is drawn deeper into the case, she’s plagued by what she first believes are nightmares. Until a man rescues her from the creatures coming for her nightly, who she first believes is a hallucination, but soon learns he’s a ghost…sort of. A grand plan is in the works and Alyssa is right at the center of it all…
‘Last Regress’ is an interesting and unique paranormal romance story. You really get attached to the characters of Alyssa, Cain, and Nathaniel. I enjoyed the different ideas of what happens after death and the multiple dimensions. I wasn’t a huge fan of Alyssa’s to begin with because I thought she was unable to stand up for herself and was easily influenced. Overall, I felt ‘Last Regress’ was a quick read with some creative characters and disturbing horror elements. It seems, by the ending, this may not be the end of Alyssa and Cain’s story…time will only tell.
‘Last Regress’ is an interesting and unique paranormal romance story. You really get attached to the characters of Alyssa, Cain, and Nathaniel. I enjoyed the different ideas of what happens after death and the multiple dimensions. I wasn’t a huge fan of Alyssa’s to begin with because I thought she was unable to stand up for herself and was easily influenced. Overall, I felt ‘Last Regress’ was a quick read with some creative characters and disturbing horror elements. It seems, by the ending, this may not be the end of Alyssa and Cain’s story…time will only tell.
March 11, 2013
This book is a wonderful combination of paranormal, Sci-fi, and romance. These are three different genres (though paranormal and sci-fi can sometimes go hand in hand), but the way they are woven together makes this story captivating.
The main character, Alyssa, works for a company that investigates the paranormal. She is interested in cases that are unusual and go unsolved.
When she opens the case file of the deceased Cain Andrews, her life is changed forever. Whether that is for better or worse is up to the reader to decide after finishing the book!
The story of Alyssa and Cain is wonderful, tragic, heart-breaking, and scary all wrapped up in one. You get a dose of everything.
There is also Alyssa’s best friend, Greg, He doesn’t believe anything Alyssa is going through, and after a while, as the reader, he begins to put doubt in your mind as well.
This book is written beautifully; the characters all have a wonderful story arc, and are completely developed. You have a sense of each of their personalities and feel as if you know them personally.
5/5 stars. Beautiful story, Wonderfully written.
It also leaves open the possibility for a sequel!
The main character, Alyssa, works for a company that investigates the paranormal. She is interested in cases that are unusual and go unsolved.
When she opens the case file of the deceased Cain Andrews, her life is changed forever. Whether that is for better or worse is up to the reader to decide after finishing the book!
The story of Alyssa and Cain is wonderful, tragic, heart-breaking, and scary all wrapped up in one. You get a dose of everything.
There is also Alyssa’s best friend, Greg, He doesn’t believe anything Alyssa is going through, and after a while, as the reader, he begins to put doubt in your mind as well.
This book is written beautifully; the characters all have a wonderful story arc, and are completely developed. You have a sense of each of their personalities and feel as if you know them personally.
5/5 stars. Beautiful story, Wonderfully written.
It also leaves open the possibility for a sequel!
July 8, 2013
Alyssa spends a lot of her time researching paranormal cases - she's a paranormal investigator. One particular case really catches her eye. His name is Cain and he spontaneously combusted - from the inside out. She thinks something is off about it and begins to investigate further.
After her initial investigation, she starts having dreams about someone trying to grab her and she starts to see shadows and ghosts. Is she going crazy? Cain is the love interest for Alyssa, but it's not a clean-cut romance. They come from two different places, and when they meet, it's love at first sight. A bit of a stretch for me to believe that, but whatever works.
With some twists and turns, Thorne keeps the reader on their toes, weaving between the land of the living and the land of the dead in a fashion that it's very easy for the reader to follow along. There are thought provoking key points, as well as some spine-tingling moments. It's a bit slow to start, but as the story develops, the pace increases. Last Regress is a terrific suspenseful paranormal romance that is sure to thrill fans of the genre!
After her initial investigation, she starts having dreams about someone trying to grab her and she starts to see shadows and ghosts. Is she going crazy? Cain is the love interest for Alyssa, but it's not a clean-cut romance. They come from two different places, and when they meet, it's love at first sight. A bit of a stretch for me to believe that, but whatever works.
With some twists and turns, Thorne keeps the reader on their toes, weaving between the land of the living and the land of the dead in a fashion that it's very easy for the reader to follow along. There are thought provoking key points, as well as some spine-tingling moments. It's a bit slow to start, but as the story develops, the pace increases. Last Regress is a terrific suspenseful paranormal romance that is sure to thrill fans of the genre!
October 25, 2012
This was a nice, fun, paranormal romance that will keep you entertained from the beginning.
The story is pretty unique, which is this age of paranormal overload, is not so common. The plot is intricate and mostly fast-paced. The beginning is the only part I found a bit slow. I realize we need to know the protagonist’s back-story and all of that, but it could have moved a tad bit faster. But the rest was nicely written, with a good sense of timing for some of the more suspenseful scenes.
There is lots of mystery and romance in the novel. The romantic scenes were lovely, the kind that make your heart beat a little faster, though I’m not a huge fan of the love-at-first-sight thing. But I know it works well for some of you, so don’t let that deter you from picking the book up. The characters themselves are fun, with Alyssa being a good heroine who is not a weakling who needs everything done for her.
All in all, this is a fun read that I do recommend. Especially for this spooky time of year!
The story is pretty unique, which is this age of paranormal overload, is not so common. The plot is intricate and mostly fast-paced. The beginning is the only part I found a bit slow. I realize we need to know the protagonist’s back-story and all of that, but it could have moved a tad bit faster. But the rest was nicely written, with a good sense of timing for some of the more suspenseful scenes.
There is lots of mystery and romance in the novel. The romantic scenes were lovely, the kind that make your heart beat a little faster, though I’m not a huge fan of the love-at-first-sight thing. But I know it works well for some of you, so don’t let that deter you from picking the book up. The characters themselves are fun, with Alyssa being a good heroine who is not a weakling who needs everything done for her.
All in all, this is a fun read that I do recommend. Especially for this spooky time of year!
December 22, 2012
It was with some trepidation that I started reading Last Regress as I am usually far too scared to read horror. However, from the very start, with the very effective prologue, I was hooked. The craftmanship of the writer is evident from the way she draws you in as each layer of the mystery unfolds. It was the mystery of the story that had me totally enthralled making me not want to stop reading until I had got to the end. In fact, the horror elment is only a small part of the novel, it is so much more than that. The descriptions of the paranormal were so convincing and it was clear that the writer really knew her stuff. The novel is both thoughful and thought provoking and I found myself questioning my own beliefs throughout. The main character in the novel, Alyssa Matthews is wonderfully crafted, all at once funny, vulnerable and unconventional. I loved her. I would recommend this novel as having something for everybody. It is compelling and original. I am now awaiting Rachael J. Thorne's next novel.
September 21, 2012
I read this book in one sitting and found the storyline fairly engaging. It is a quick, easy read and the prose flows nicely. The premise of this book was interesting, but I wish the author had taken longer to explain a few things in more depth, such as the magic behind the lyrics. I got the impression a sequel may happen, though, so perhaps this explanation will come to the fore then.
The main gripe I had was the seeming 'love at first sight' of the two main characters. I struggled to believe in their relationship as it seemed too sudden and unprecedented. But in other respects they were intriguing characters and I'd like to see them explored further in a future book.
All up, I found this a promising start: not polished to perfection yet, but with plenty of scope to do so in future works.
The main gripe I had was the seeming 'love at first sight' of the two main characters. I struggled to believe in their relationship as it seemed too sudden and unprecedented. But in other respects they were intriguing characters and I'd like to see them explored further in a future book.
All up, I found this a promising start: not polished to perfection yet, but with plenty of scope to do so in future works.
January 12, 2013
In Thorne’s paranormal romance novel, Alyssa Matthews is a skeptical paranormal investigator whose talent revolves around researching, observing and explaining. When she takes on the writing of a long forgotten case of spontaneous human combustion, she assumed it would be fairly typical and ordinary. To her surprise, she is plunged into a situation that would have her questioning her own sanity and her skepticism surrounding the paranormal.
The story is unique, a little slow in the beginning, but a fun, paranormal romance that is entertaining and worth reading.
The story is unique, a little slow in the beginning, but a fun, paranormal romance that is entertaining and worth reading.
February 3, 2013
The author did a wonderful job of writing this fun, paranormal romance that will keep you entertained from the beginning. The storyline is pretty unique, intricate and mostly fast-paced. The book has a lot of mystery and romance in the novel. The romantic scenes were the kind that makes your heart beat. The characters are witty, entertaining and Alyssa being a good heroine who needs everything done for her. A recommend this book. I give it 3 stars.
January 2, 2013
Just finished Last Regress: Last regress kept my interest, the plot is unique and there was a great deal of suspense. I didn't like the gory parts, I must admit I skipped those pages but I enjoyed the rest of the story. Cain was a mystery and he drew me into the story with the parallel universe angle.
April 19, 2015
A fabulous easy to read book, once you start it it will be hard to put down, it has a few unexpected twists and some parts are very predictable. Overall well with reading.
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