After an emotionally draining year, Meara Quinn is not the same carefree and innocent girl. Graduation is over. Taking a leap of faith and temporarily separating from her one love—Evan—Meara joins her father on a journey to learn more about who she is.
Too bad life is not all starfish and seashells. Meara gains magical abilities, but she’s forced to undergo intense training so she knows what to do with them. Her father chooses her aunt and Kieran as her trainers. And Kieran—a powerful male who's not from their clan—has the unnerving ability to infuriate and intrigue Meara at the same time.
While Meara begins her new life, Evan endures with her memory and the knowledge that he will see her in July when his internship begins. Although excited about gaining real world experience, it’s the thought of seeing Meara that really drives him. Unfortunately, Evan finds it hard to focus on anything when he’s suffering from vivid nightmares and screaming headaches.
When Meara and Evan reunite, everything seems to fall back into place. The summer appears to be perfect. Then two of her father’s guards are found dead, and foul play is suspected. The façade melts away. Someone is targeting them, and Meara must discover who it is and why. She turns to Evan to help her, but when he gives her the hot and cold treatment, she's left feeling alone and confused.
As the puzzle pieces move into place, will Meara be able to solve the mystery in time to save her clan and her relationship?
I love books. I love reading books. I love collecting books. I love reading books aloud to my kids. It's been a lifelong dream to write a book, and now, I've done it! It's so much fun creating a world, and my characters have become family to me. I hope that you'll love them, too.
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Kelly Risser did a great job in continuing the story of Meara and Evan. There is a twist that will blow your mind and have you questioning whether they will make it through this crisis. Then you have to throw in the fact that Meara has also developed feelings for Kieran. Life should not be so tough. On the positive side, Meara is learning to fight and protect. She is also getting to know this new family that she had been in the dark about. I love how the good and bad guys are portrayed. There are the ones that you just know are bad, and then the ones that will still leave a question on whose side they are really on. I give this book 5 stars. I love this series and cannot wait to read the next installment. They keep me very entertained.
Current Impressions picks up right where Never Forgotten left off. Meara is now on the journey of learning about what she is, who she is. Moving from Canada to Scotland she is immersed in a new world that’s cut off from technology and all things to do with humans. She finds herself on a small island living in a castle that the occupants call Ronac.
It’s one thing to deal with your mother dying, leaving to live with your father your never really knew, and the fact that you’re not human but once she learns that her father is a sort of ruler or leader to all the residents at Ronac and that she’s next in line to rule to something else entirely. Her father demands that she gets lessons to work on her new abilities that she’s inherited. Except he’s too busy with other things so he leaves her aunt and a boy she is drawn too, Kieran to become her tutors.
Kieran was introduced in the previous book, Never Forgotten. I didn’t really think anything of his character in book one until he expectantly shows up in book two. The possible love triangle that never happened in Never Forgotten is on the verge of becoming reality as he teaches her how to harness her powers as well as the constant flirting and “I’ll save your life” mantra that he has…and he does. One thing bothers me about the relationship that develops into something very serious is that he’s several years older than her. He appears to be in his twenties, but he’s more or less a middle aged man and at times can be a bit disturbing to think about.
Current Impressions also dives into Evan’s story as well. He took on an internship in Scotland to be closer to Meara, but what happens to him is totally unexpected. His health puts him in peril, but once he gets treatment from a local doctor things change, things begin to look up. It doesn’t take long for things to go sour again. His personality starts to change and mood swings start to set in especially when Meara is around. He get hateful and heartless when she’s around and once she’s gone he realizes how he behaved. Voices in his head tell him awful things and it’s hard not to listen to them. Let’s just say he’s about to find out he’s not quite human either. Once again I’m not one for spoilers, so let me tell you that these unhuman beings are creatures of ocean myth.
Meara goes against her father’s wishes and leaves the safety of Ronac even after two guards show up dead to see Evan before and even after his hurtful episodes. It’s here that she’s pulled into trouble as Evan’s host, Ken shows a great interest in Meara. Evan finds it weird but really can’t pin point why or think anything of it until it’s too late.
This book outs you on edge as crucial pieces of information are slowly revealed. It has everything a great suspenseful novel should. The plot thickens and I was amused along the way. I was also pleased that Evan’s character is developed more and plays a very prominent role in this book. It does end in a cliffhanger signaling another novel is in store, which by means of how it ended calls for lots of action.
Wow, wow, wow! I was swept away by this book from the minute I started, and I could not put it down. Current Impressions starts right where we left off in Never Forgotten, Meara is off to Scotland with her father to learn how to be a selkie, and Evan is about to start his internship with Professor Nolan in Scotland to be closer to Meara. This book is a roller coaster ride full of twists, turns, and loops galore. When you start reading, trust me, you won't want to stop until you finish because you have to know what is going to happen.
Ms. Risser has crafted an excellent book that truly sets itself apart from other selkie books out there. While this genre isn't extremely used (like vampires, faeries, etc), in all the books I have read with selkies, they tend to be extremely similar. However, Ms. Risser has created a unique and interesting take on the mythology, and I loved every second of it. We find out so much more about Meara's powers, as well as the powers of those around her, and about the different threats against the selkies. The writing is simply wonderful and almost lyrical in its presentation. The story was fast-paced, and never once did I feel as if the story was dragging along or boring. We are instantly transported to Aberdeen, Scotland, and the setting truly comes alive. By the end of this book, you will want to travel to Aberdeen just to see the rich beauty described in this book.
Meara shines in this book as the lead character. One thing I loved is how committed she was to learning her selkie heritage and the powers that come with it. While she didn't necessarily like her teachers, she was eager to learn more and use those powers. We are also treated to Evan's POV in this book, and it gives us an interesting insight into what is going on behind the scenes. I think adding his perspective helped the story because we were given a more complete story. We are able to try to figure more out about who the threat against the selkies is, and it was a thrilling addition. However, I did get so upset at Evan throughout the story, and even though by the end I still liked him, I definitely like Kieran much more. I was very torn between the boys by the end, and you probably will be too. I can't wait to see how it all plays out in the next installment!
This book is chock full of action and excitement. There are new threats, hidden talents discovered, and a whole new cast of characters that you will both love and despise. This book ends on a major cliffhanger, and if you're anything like me, you will be desperate for the next book! I hope it comes out really quickly because I need to know what happens. I highly recommend checking out this book if you were a fan of Never Forgotten. The sequel will not disappoint! Happy reading :)
Current Impressions picks up right where Never Forgotten left off. Meara is now on the journey of learning about what she is, who she is. Moving from Canada to Scotland she is immersed in a new world that’s cut off from technology and all things to do with humans. She finds herself on a small island living in a castle that the occupants call Ronac.
It’s one thing to deal with your mother dying, leaving to live with your father your never really knew, and the fact that you’re not human but once she learns that her father is a sort of ruler or leader to all the residents at Ronac and that she’s next in line to rule to something else entirely. Her father demands that she gets lessons to work on her new abilities that she’s inherited. Except he’s too busy with other things so he leaves her aunt and a boy she is drawn too, Kieran to become her tutors.
Kieran was introduced in the previous book, Never Forgotten. I didn’t really think anything of his character in book one until he expectantly shows up in book two. The possible love triangle that never happened in Never Forgotten is on the verge of becoming reality as he teaches her how to harness her powers as well as the constant flirting and “I’ll save your life” mantra that he has…and he does. One thing bothers me about the relationship that develops into something very serious is that he’s several years older than her. He appears to be in his twenties, but he’s more or less a middle aged man and at times can be a bit disturbing to think about.
Current Impressions also dives into Evan’s story as well. He took on an internship in Scotland to be closer to Meara, but what happens to him is totally unexpected. His health puts him in peril, but once he gets treatment from a local doctor things change, things begin to look up. It doesn’t take long for things to go sour again. His personality starts to change and mood swings start to set in especially when Meara is around. He get hateful and heartless when she’s around and once she’s gone he realizes how he behaved. Voices in his head tell him awful things and it’s hard not to listen to them. Let’s just say he’s about to find out he’s not quite human either. Once again I’m not one for spoilers, so let me tell you that these unhuman beings are creatures of ocean myth.
Meara goes against her father’s wishes and leaves the safety of Ronac even after two guards show up dead to see Evan before and even after his hurtful episodes. It’s here that she’s pulled into trouble as Evan’s host, Ken shows a great interest in Meara. Evan finds it weird but really can’t pin point why or think anything of it until it’s too late.
This book outs you on edge as crucial pieces of information are slowly revealed. It has everything a great suspenseful novel should. The plot thickens and I was amused along the way. I was also pleased that Evan’s character is developed more and plays a very prominent role in this book. It does end in a cliffhanger signaling another novel is in store, which by means of how it ended calls for lots of action.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review:
I'm a huge fan of this author!!
This is Book #2 in the Never Forgotten Series. I had to read Book 1 before reading this one and I was hooked from page 1. It was such a wonderfully written story, full of love, sorrow, happiness and pain...and you felt each emotion from every character. This author is one of the best authors, and I will be following her from now on.
Meara is the main female character and is about to graduate High School. Even though it pains her to do so because she'd be leaving her boyfriend, Evan, behind, she makes the decision to go with her dad to learn her Selkie (or Seal) powers and learn to protect herself. She and her dad are starting to get closer and he's devastated by her moms death. Then Evan tells her he accepted an internship that will take him to Scotland for several weeks shortly after she gets there, and they plan on seeing each other in between her training sessions and his work hours.
When in Scotland, Meara immediately starts training the next day. Though she didn't particularly like all her trainers at first, consisting of her aunts and Kieran, a guy from another Selkie clan, she tolerates them and she learns to use her powers quickly.
Evan's story starts to go downhill from here. Jealousy plays a big role since he believes he's starting to lose Meara to Kieran, but you also get the feeling that there's something bigger going on, and there is definitely something different about Evan himself. I want to mention that this book switches to Evan's POV throughout the book, which I loved. You will constantly be guessing as to what could be going on with him...
There's so much action, twists and excitement in this book that you will not be bored for even a second! I have never read a Selkie story before, so a seal shapeshifter was new to me but I loved it. You learn more about the strengths, weaknesses and threats of the Selkie world.
I could say so much more but I'm afraid I'll reveal too much!! But I give both books in her Never Forgotten series 5 stars! She's an amazing writer and I'm hoping she continues to write these amazing stories.
Normally I wouldn't have read this because I'm one of those readers that get too attached to the characters I read about and I can't let them go! They become a part of me. So I have been the type of reader that goes for long series - not trilogies or stand-alones. But I was in-between series and I came across her books and thought I must give it a try because it sounded like a great storyline...
...I'm glad I did!!! Ms. Risser, I hope you continue to write these wonderful books! I enjoyed them so much, your writing, the world you created, your characters' emotions are all so realistic it was as if I was experiencing it all myself.
Thank you!!
It does end in a huge cliffhanger! I can't wait to read Book 3! I hope it comes out soon!!
This was a great book. There was a lot of suspense and a lot of plot twists. As you progress in the book you are able to travel with Meara as she learns what her powers are and as she is trained to use them. Ms. Risser switches back and forth between Meara and Evan as they undergo their own hardships and the hardships that they face together. Meara soon realizes that Selkie life isn't all fun and swimming, she learns that Selkie's have enemies, dangerous ones. Near the end of the book there's a plot twist, one that you would have never seen coming. Ms. Risser is an amazing author and should take great pride in the work that she does. Explore with Meara and Evan as they find out that their "perfect" world isn't as perfect as they thought it would be. I truly loved this book and all of the twists and turns that came along with it, read it and be astounded.
Didn't review the first book but had to review the wnd
Okay...so I didn't review the 1 book of this series but I definitely had to review this one! The first I was captured just enough to be curious about what the 2nd would lead to. This 2nd one kept me into it. My eyes were glued to my kindle and I didn't want to stop until I had no other choice. In which I would pick it up 5 minutes later bc I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen next! I don't know whether to be pro Kieran or pro Evan. I love them both! Downloading the 3rd book now to see what happens next!
I loved this story, I was caught in the Never Forgotten web with book One and couldn't wait to read this one. I couldn't put it down and I loved it. I was angry at the end though. I hate that book #3 is not available yet! Ms. Risser better hurry up, I might go a little insane not knowing what is going on!
there were many mistakes in this book as well as the last, but the story kept me going. So many things happen in this book that are both tragic and loveable. I hope that Meara follows her heart and begins a relationship with Kieran. Evan is not who he was when she met him. Not only that he isn't who he thought he was either. with that said I cannot wait until the next book is out.
This is an extremely original and engrossing series. The twists and turns within this book make for one heck of a ride. And I find myself enjoying it even more than the first one. Kelly Rissler has certainly outdone herself.
This series continued exactly as I hoped! Now we see how Meara gets into the nitty-gritty of being what she is embracing it fully. There's a big twist in this book, one which the author delivers in a remarkable way.
Wow is all I can say! Well maybe more. Kelly, I very much love your books and am wanting more. Downloaded Always Remembered and can't wait to dive into it! Thank you Kelly :-)
I really enjoyed this book and this series! I love how, unlike so many YA novels, the love triangle doesn't take over the story. My only issue is THE COVER. This horrible cover... such a beautiful and fantastical book should have a dreamy cover, but this is just horrible. I want to purchase this series, but I'm seriously embarrassed to have a book with this cover on my shelf...
Meara's story continues as she embraces her heritage, and her new family. Change comes to not just her, but to Evan as well as he enters into a internship with his college professor. So much excitement, and mystery as their new lives unfold. On to the next book in this wonderful series!
It has been a while since I read the first book in the Never Forgotten series and I thought reading the second one will be quite a challenge, considering the fact there is some information to grasp. Although, my worries were pointless, as it turned out, and this due to the author's ability to slowly and naturally integrate the main ideas of the first volume.
Current Impressions surprised me for many reasons. First of all, it is incredibly and breathtakingly fast-paced, compared to Never Forgotten. There is so much action going on with Meara's training (which enables the protagonist to discover her unique powers), her emotional evolution towards Kieran (character that shows up in the first novel too), Evan's arrival and behavioural change and so on. This many-sided plot gave me a sense of satisfaction and made the process of reading happen so quickly that I was surprised when I reached the last page. Plus, the writing is as beautiful as in the first book, and the shifting of the narrative perspective also awarded the story with great dynamism and excitement.
Secondly, I need to mention the love triangle. As I wrote in some of my previous posts, I am not particularly keen on love triangles, but if it is well-outlined, then I will give it a try. I am glad I did so with the one in Current Impressions. The love triangle between Evan, Meara and Kieran is the first love triangle that put me in the position where I don't know on which side to be. On the one hand, I would like to see Meara and Evan together, as they became a couple in the first book and I honestly enjoy their relationship. On the other hand, the idea of Meara ending up with Kieran also draws me in forasmuch as Kieran understands her true nature better. This confusing situation gets even worse when Evan finds out what he truly is. It is no surprise Meara is so disorientated and incapable of making a decision. Though, I must say, she is lucky with these two boys. Both of them are mature enough not to start fighting or put useless pressure on her.
However, when it comes to the main character - Meara - I would have liked to see more responsability and understanding. Indeed, she has evolved since her departure from Canada, but, until a point, it seems she doesn't realise at all the danger wandering around her. What annoyed me is the fact that she wants her father too look at her as if she were an adult and, contrary to that, she craves for spending time with him (who is busy with his leader business) and acts, on many occasions, like a stubborn and foolish child. Still, I believe these flaws are part of her further development and I cannot wait to see it. In her behalf, I would say she is very caring, persevering and strong, knowing she no longer has her mother and her life has taken a 180 degrees turn. What is more, those flaws I indicated make her more human and approachable and make me more curious about the next book.
One problem I wish I hadn't with Kelly Risser's work is the one consisting of some replies which are overused in YA literature. Current Impressions has a few, but I wish it had none because the dialogue is, generally, really good and absorbing. Therefore, it saddened me that the dialogue was "stained" with those rare yet unpleasant clichés.
Overall, Current Impressions is an almost perfect sequel that kept me on the edge of my seat. It introduced me to new, interesting, powerful and diverse characters engaged in a suspense-filled intrigue.
(RabidReads.com)Almost a year ago I read and reviewed the first in this series titled, Never Forgotten. I really liked it and looked forward to reading the sequel. Didn’t think about it again, but happened upon the sequel recently, and snapped it up.Third and last book is already published as well, for those of you that don’t like waiting for sequels.
Meara has moved from Nova Scotia to her father’s home in Scotland. Home is a huge fortress on a island that has been spelled so human’s can’t see or find it. Meara’s father and his clan are, of course, not human. They are Selkies, commonly known as shape shifter seals. This world is all new to Meara as she was raised as a human, and is just now learning about her family and heritage. Meara’s boyfriend Evan, is also in Scotland, as he joined a research summer internship program so he could be near her. Back for this story as well, is Kieran, the beautiful Californian Selkie that tried to cause problems with Meara’s relationship with Evan in the first book. Now we find out that he will be the leader of his clan someday, he is looking for a strong mate-and he is looking right at Meara. Meara is the daughter of the Scottish clan leader, David, so she is strong with an incredible array of magical powers-think Bewitched, without the nose twitching.
The story is told from both Meara and Evan’s point of view. In the beginning, I found Meara’s story much more compelling, but as the story progressed, Evan’s story became almost as interesting. I also began to care more about Kieran’s part of the story, even though I really didn’t like him in the first book. David, Meara’s father, doesn’t have as big a role this time around and actually stays gone a lot. And that’s because war seems to be imminent. Selkie guards are being killed, both in Scotland and at other clan’s homes. Problem? They aren’t sure which of their many undersea enemies are at fault.
I enjoyed the the author’s world building and there is actually a lot of it to enjoy. All the enemies and their descriptions, all of the different Selkie powers(although only the strong manifest them) and lots of other little but intricately woven facets and customs of Selkie life make for a fascinating world.
Now, I know that the first book was supposed to be young adult, and it really started out that way. However, by the end, due to Evan’s and Meara’s physical relationship, although not explicit, I thought it should be for older young adults-probably 16 plus. This book definitely is for older teens to adult readers as well.
Biggest problems I had with the book? The dreaded cliffhanger. And this one was so abrupt that I was shocked. Not a fan. Then there is the pesky problem of a love triangle. Not always a fan, but I also know they are a staple of most young adult books. Having said all that though, I do plan on reading the last book, Always Remembered, because I am invested enough to want to see where the story is going. For the most part, I did enjoy the read, and I am glad I continued with the series.
FYI As of this writing, the first book, Never Forgotten is free on Amazon and Nook.
I will first start out saying that I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am not one for many words. Most of the time my ratings describe my feelings. 5 stars signifies to me that I would have no problem reading this book over and over. 4 means that even though I thoroughly enjoyed it it was still lacking the pizzazz that I was looking forward to. 3 means it was lacking most everything that would intrigue me. 2 means it was very poorly written. 1 means its crap and that I couldn't even get the whole way through the book. That being said I gave this book 5 stars. I was thoroughly captivated by the whole Selkies idea. It was original and refreshing. I would recommend this book to anyone and in fact have already recommended to quite a few people. I am now going to sit here somewhat impatiently and wait for book 3 which according to goodreads comes out this year so perhaps my wait won't be horrifically long. Anyways, later.
This book two from the series Never forgotten has a magnificent cover, on this we can see Maera and his boyfriend Evan. At hte beginning we learn that the main character has changed. It's seems to be a Selkie skin about your body. With concentration, she can do appears clothes when she's naked for instance. She thinks like human. And these huma are enemys for Selkies. She learns that two selkies are dead in strange conditions. At the end i'm not expected about this final story.
I really appreciate read this book there is suspens from the beginning at the end, i'm a fan about this author, i'm in a hurry to begin to read the third book.
Current Impressions by Kelly Risser was definitely interesting. There were things that happened that I didn't see coming. As with the 1st book, Never Forgotten, I feel that there were some chapters that weren't necessary and just added length to the book while other times it felt like the story jumped around a bit without giving details needed. Overall it was a good book with a great cliffhanger for book 3!
This story continues where the first book left off and I must say that I have fallen head over heels in love with the continuing story line. Superbly crafted, well written with characters that pull you in quickly and keep you wanting more. This is truly a beautiful and moving story. You cannot pass this book up as you will be missing out on the ride of your life!
I much prefer the first book. I really struggled to get through the book, then it started picking up toward the end. It felt like there should be another chapter, not the end of the book. That's quite a cliffhanger!
I'm sorry that the book ended! I was transfixed by the vivid imagery. Falling in love with multiple characters has to be the worst possible thing to happen. How can you choose????? How can I endure the wait until the next installment!?!? It's so unfair!
I'm sorry that the book ended! I was transfixed by the vivid imagery. Falling in love with multiple characters has to be the worst possible thing to happen. How can you choose????? How can I endure the wait until the next installment!?!? It's so unfair!