Heart on a String

by Susan Soares

What happens when running from your past, you crash straight into your future?

Running is the only way Marissa knows how to escape. With each beat of her sneakers on the pavement, Marissa runs from the pain of the death of her mother. Runs from the abandonment of her older brother. Runs from the look of pity in people’s eyes. Marissa is always running.

By chance, Marissa is sidetracked by Brandon, who has suffered the loss of a younger brother. But unlike Marissa, he chooses to face his grief head-on. As their relationship deepens, Marissa realizes the value of letting someone in and not letting her grief destroy her. But when her denial-filled past catches up with her, Marissa is forced to tell Brandon her darkest secrets, or lose him forever. Can she realize the value of letting someone in before it's too late? Could Brandon be the one to stop her in her tracks?

What’s the only thing scarier than running from your life? Facing it.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal

247 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2014

About the author

Susan Soares grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, always dreaming of one day being an author. After numerous short stories, poems and plays, those dreams finally became a reality when her first book, My Zombie Ex-Boyfriends was published. (Featherweight Press, 2013)
Susan's second book is a YA contemporary novel- Heart on a String, released June 2014, Susan is also the author of My Rebellion Checklist and Holding My Breath.

Susan received her MA in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University, and is pursuing teaching. When she isn’t writing Susan spends her time reading, experimenting with photography, planning her next Disney World vacation and chasing after her kids.

Susan loves to read YA fiction. Maybe it’s because her inner sixteen-year-old still wants to be prom queen. You can see what Susan’s up to and what she’s reading on her YouTube channel at : http://www.youtube.com/user/shewrites....

Reviews

[Dina Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchanged for an honest review (via Lovers of Paranormal)

I am very interested in dreams and have been hoping to find a good paranormal novel about the subject. I think this is the best I've seen so far. The dreams feel like real dreams. They have that surreal and irrational quality.

The plot: Emily and her mother have a genetic mutation that allows them to stay in the dream state while their bodies remains safe in the real world. There's good and bad in this. The good is that the mother's dreams have inspired the two dreamers to write stories based on the dream. These stories have become successful and the mother/daughter pair are very financially comfortable. The bad is that Emily's father has died. Her mother's not doing well with the grieving process and she uses the dreams to escape from reality and dwell in a fantasy world where she can still be with her husband. Emily's neglected.

There's a romance in the story. It might not have the most noble beginnings. Girl likes boy because he's incredibly hot. Boy likes girl because her mother is a famous writer. But sometimes love forms from things like that.

There were parts of the story where I was thinking....Well, couldn't they just.... I don't want to go into details because of spoilers. And I could be wrong about things. My idea of what they could have done might be very wrong. I guess I can say (without spoiling) is I felt they put themselves in danger when maybe they didn't absolutely need to.

Emily got on my nerves sometimes, but not in a she's-badly-written way. She's just a bit negative for my liking. She has a big chip on her shoulder. I think part of her sorrows in life come from her own personality issues. Not that she has an easy life. But I think she makes things worse for herself.

I would love to see this as a movie, so hopefully some producer will get a hold of it.

Or maybe it could be a TV show! That would be wonderful.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am rating this book on behalf of my daughter, who rarely reads anything that isn't horse related. One of her praises for this book was that she felt it was fairly clean, especially compared to what's offered to high school students these days. As a mother, I applaud authors who are willing to write things that I can recommend to my kids.

[Cassidie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geek Girl Obsess YA Book Reviews, TV Show & Movie Reviews, Video Games

Emily and her mother are dreamwalkers, people who can sleep for days without problem, wandering in their dreams. It can be exciting, beautiful, terrifying and a great escape from reality - which her mother, Lily, exploits totes after her beloved husband's death. Ever since then, Emily has been taking care of everything. However, when her mom fails to return from her dreams and commence to display never seen acts during her ansence, Emily has no choice but to involve acquaintances in the perilous quest of saving the last person who left for her in the family.

Dream On is a true hidden gem of the fantasy genre. I seriously loved it! Although the plot is not ever so intricate, the "dream-world" is well thought-out and captivating, a little high-fantasy-like. As for
the "real world", it is hinted here and there that it operates differently from our current 2014, somewhat dystopian with the government greatly influencing everything. I would have been happy to find out a tad more about it, but at the same time, I understand it's not the point of this book and is more fantasy than dystopia.

The cast was positively likable, despite not being of immense depths. We don't get to know them that well, as the story after all, wasn't revolving around them, but the adventure. They still won me over more than a few characters in more character centered books (ahem wallflower of that certain YA paranormal) and Gabe, he just made punkness a hundred times more sexy, even made me swoon a little quite a few times.

I can't help but mention the writing style. If you've read my blog before, you know how much writing style matters to me and though I found it okay in Dream On, I got the jitters after the umpteenth "actual". I got the no actual, rather, quite, etc. rule planted in my head pretty deeply and it irked me quite a bit here. (See what I did?)

Overall, I was more than satisfied with Dream On. I recommend it to everybody who seeks something different in fantasy.

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Del Monte is has big secret about her and her mom. Her mother is very successful writer, but Emily has heavy burden on her shoulders. She and her mother are daydreamers they can go sleeps whenever they want and explore their dreams. This could be fun and extremely dangerous. After big tragedy in their family Emily’s mom is often in her dreams than in reality and Emily must do everything and suppose not to have closest friends. One day good looking guy, named Gabe went in her school and he wants to meet her and be friends with her, because he is fan of her mom. Emily can’t take risk and stay away from him, but this isn’t easy.
This book really shakes my world of dreams. I finish reading it late in night and I couldn’t sleep, than I remember one anecdote about one very wiser man, Socrates before his death he tells to his friends that if he dies that will be relief, cause if life after death exist that will be relief, if not and he will be turned into nothing that will be relief ether with that thought I fall asleep. I don’t why I telling you that.
Emily and other characters as Gabe, her mom Lily are very likeable and it’s easy to believe in this story told by Emily. I like very much this girl, she is cute, brave and she takes responsibilities as grown up girl.
This book is about responsibilities, parenting and first love.
This book was provided by author in exchange of honest review

[Maria Rios]

I really liked the book, because it caught my attention from page one. I really liked how the characters changed so much and the change was visible. There wasn't a moment when I would stop and think "When did that happen?" The book was really easy to follow and quick to catch on, as soon as I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I loved the imagery in the book because it really pulled you in and it was like you were there with the characters as they journeyed through this dream world. The character Emily was relatable and strong witted. I love the characters in the books and how, even though the book was fantasy there was a mix of science fiction which really added to the fear Emily always has between her and her mom.

There was just a few things I didn't like but they weren't major. I felt like Emily agreed to easily to Gabe and the Editor's demands and I expected more of a debate but it was just a small amount of " this could happen to you," and them, (Gabe and the editor) just saying it was okay with them.

But even with that I Loved the book and I wish there was a second if possible. M. Kircher has crafted a beautiful dream world that I would love to be a part of. ( well only part of my happy dreams, not the nightmares) ;)

* I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book ( I guess it is really a novella) but all the talk in the beginning from the character of Joan, best friend of Chole, almost made me want to stop reading. The last half of the story was much better than the first. I wish the main character would have been less judgmental but I guess that is what makes this story go forward.

The book was easy to read and had good flow. I think maybe Chloe needed another friend that supported her venture into this abnormal way of dating. I wish the story would have been longer because from what there is here in these 70-ish pages, it seems like this is only the beginning of the story. I will look forward to reading other titles from J.L. Salter.

I received this ARC (Advance Reader Copy) from Astraea Press in return for an honest review. I thank them and the author for the allowing me to read this title.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short & Sweet!
This is a quick, enjoyable read that will keep you entertained throughout. I especially liked Joan, Chloe's friend, who was quite innovative in the scenarios she came up with to try to talk Chloe out of going out with Brett. She totally cracked me up! Chloe and Brett made a sweet couple. The author kept me entertained and I would not hesitate to pick up another one of his books. This one is definitely one worth reading!

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marissa and Brandon are complex characters. They each have demons they’re running from, and traumas they have to struggle through.

Read full review in the 2015 March issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Joice · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟heart string by Dan Chisham. I was asked to read this for a friend prior to his publication date and I can’t say good enough thing about it. When it is published everyone should read it. Follow the life of Robert Danforth. It gives Mr. Holland’s Opus vibes but so many more layers in his life…. I’m so proud of my friend. #2023readsjph

[Annarisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand this is just a fiction but.....why made a character like that? I mean why on earth keeping a secret like that? It's not something that should be kept as a secret cause it's major event in life. And the brother. So he abandoned her and a few minutes spending time with him (after he came back) all tension resolved??

[Caru · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.Thank you!

Review Can Be Found @ My Addiction: Books

Actual Rating: ★★★☆☆ maybe 3.5


My Opinion Of This Book: It was pretty good!


Good & Cute.
___________________________________________________
Liked:
-Gabe
-The Writing
-The Concept
-Evan

Disliked:
-Em
-It Was Kind Of Predictable


The Characters

Em

I didn't like her. She was annoying alot of times. And she told her and her mom's secret to Gabe and Even so easily, she didn't even really know them.

You're just gonna trust them that easily?!They could be snitches!

Gabe rakes a hand through his hair. "It's weird, right? It's snowing, but I'm not cold at all." He peers around. "I'm actually kind of hot."
Yeah, you are, my dumb brain chimes in.

She's thinking about that when her mom is like nowhere to be found! Again, seriously?!
Some things were cool about her though; she was smart somtimes and she writes -wohoo!!

Gabe



The new guy has black hair styled into this sort-of wavy Mohawk thing, and three silver piercings hook over his right eyebrow. There are two small black discs in his earlobes. His pants are dark and tight, and the sleeves of his gray hoodie are tattered, the hem speckled with tiny holes. His chin is square, and I see another silver ring jutting out of the corner of his bottom lip. I gulp. He's super tall, with a pair of broad shoulders and narrow hips. A swimmer's build, I think to myself, although his clothes don't exactly scream "jock". There are buds in the new guy's ears, and I notice he's absently thumbing through a music pod in his left hand. Then I'm completely flabbergasted, because in his other hand, this rebellious-looking punk is clutching one of Mom's books. And by the expression on his face, he's deeply absorbed in it.


He's so cute, smart, and he reads!!


Evan

"Well, thanks." I squint up at him and feel the corners of my mouth tug up into a smile. "What you did was kind of awesome."
Gabe's eyes twinkle in response, and my stomach does a couple of flip-flops.
"Are you two finished batting your eyelashes at each other?" Evan's anxious voice cuts through our little moment.

Evan was okay. I guess he was funny sometimes.

The Writing

The writing was good!The author used great word choice, and it wasn't difficult to understand.

The Concept

I really loved the concept of this book:Dreamwalkers. It's a really cool concept but I thought it wasn't explained that well. I felt like the explaining was rushed a bit.

The Romance

I felt like Em and Gabe feel in love way too fast. It was unrealistic. But there was cute moments!

Overall

This was a good book, it could have been executed better though. It was also kind of predictable.
I'd still recommend this book!!It's really interesting and cute!!!

[Pete Tarsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the opening chapter, Marissa is running. Though she’s no longer part of her school track team, she still spends time running. Perhaps for good exercise or because she simply enjoys it, she’s not running to anywhere in particular. Metaphorically, she’s running away from the combined grief and pain of her mother dying from breast cancer and her brother leaving home unable to deal with it.

She dreads running past the cemetery. Holding her breath while she passes, she sees a family standing at a gravestone. A small boy is holding a heart-shaped balloon, and Marissa is instantly reminded of a similar balloon she brought to her mother’s grave and then let go to bring a letter to her. On her return run past the cemetery, she sees that the family has left, but the balloon is now caught in the branches of a tree.

She climbs the tree with the intent of freeing the balloon so the boy’s letter can float upward, but on her way down and out of the cemetery away from the tree, the balloon has deflated. A lesser person would probably have tossed the envelope aside because the family would never know, but because of Marissa’s feelings about her own loss, she wants to do what’s right. With only the name on the gravestone to go by, and at the encouragement and assistance of her best friend Zoe, Marissa seeks out the family.

That’s when she meets Brandon. The boy with the balloon is Brandon’s youngest brother, and they were mourning the death of their middle brother who was killed when a car hit him on his dirt bike. She becomes interested in Brandon, and not just because he’s kind and attractive, but because he represents something that she’s missing: the ability to deal openly with grief.

They start a relationship, but Marissa keeps him at a distance. She doesn’t want to let him inside, not out of any malicious intent, but because she’s afraid. But she’s also afraid that she’ll lose him completely if she keeps pushing him out of her life.

I won’t reveal any spoilers, but the ending contains an act of selflessness and support that’s completely believable for the character. Also, I opened this review with a mention of the symbolism of Marissa running alone and away from something at the start of the story. Keep that in mind when she’s running for something at the end.

This story is a tearjerker with hope. Everyone experiences pain, sadness, and grief, and everyone deserves a strong support system. I would put this in the same genre of books as John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars but obviously with a reverse slant since Heart on a String deals with how those left living deal with death instead of how those that are dying deal with their lives. Just as I would give Fault a high star rating, I give Heart on a String 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Patricia Eddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

***This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review on Author Alliance.***

Dream On Review

Dream On is a fascinating tale of Emily, a teenager with a unique gift and a terrible secret. Emily and her mother, Lily, are dreamwalkers. They can go to sleep and stay that way for as long as they want. No food, no water, no danger of death.

Years ago, Emily's father died in a terrorist attack. Her mother was shattered by the death of her husband and rather than grieve and move on, she chose to spend increasingly more time in her dreams where she could be with him again. This left Emily with the terrible task of keeping them alive and keeping their secret.

Fortunately, Lily started to write just before she decided to leave reality behind and Emily took over writing her books halfway through the first story. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and Lily became famous. No one ever suspected that it was really Emily doing all of the writing.

As the story begins, Emily meets Gabe, a new kid in town who threatens the safe, if lonely, life she's built for her and her mother. They have an expensive house in a gated community and keep to themselves. But Gabe starts to break down Emily's walls. When he shows up at her house uninvited, things start to get dicey.

Emily fears that if the government learned about her and her mother, they'd take them away, dissect them, and study them.

When Gabe and Evan, her mother's editor, discover the secret of dreamwalking, Emily must trust them or risk everything.

This is a fascinating story and a rich, vibrant world. Since much of it takes place in dreams, the rules of reality don't always apply. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader engaged in the dream worlds and invested through the last page of the book.

I cannot say enough good things about Kircher's writing. I don't read a lot of YA. All too often the teens are overly angsty (like real teenagers often are) and that angst takes over the storyline. In Dream On, there's certainly angst. Emily fears everything, even as she builds up her own defenses to try to keep her and her mother alive. She has feelings for Gabe, the first boy she's ever let in. But she's also smart and capable and quick thinking. She cares.

Gabe is a smart hero who doesn't swoop in and save the day, but helps Emily just enough so she can do what needs to be done.

This is a rather quick read and you'll be captured from the first page. I cannot recommend this book enough. Very well done.

[pinK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always had a deep interest in dreams, be it my own dreams or the dreams of others, so I was especially excited to get my hands on this book.

One part of the story I found extremely interesting was Em's relationship with her mother. Their relationship shared many qualities with the relationship between an alcoholic/addict and their child. Em was overly responsible, even completing her mother's work just to receive the paychecks needed in order to survive. Em did not make friends in order to protect her family's secret from the general public. Em did not answer personal questions in order to prevent herself from implicating her family in any unnecessary attention, again, protecting her family's secret. So many aspects of their relationship pointed me in this direction, and honestly? Although her mother wasn't addicted to drugs or alcohol, this is the type of relationship they had. She had an unhealthy addiction to her dreams, trying to hold on to the memory of her dead husband. Honestly, I can't say that I blame her, I would quite possibly do the same thing were I to loose my husband, but poor Em got caught in the destruction of her family.

I found the fact that Gabe blackmailed Em into telling her his secret very un-hero-like, but I appreciated the fact that the author recognized this flaw of character and allowed the reader a glimpse into Em's mind to see her working out this conflict in her head. I feel that Em's a highly mature character for a 17 year old girl to be so forgiving of Gabe's aggressive behavior and still choose to trust him.

I feel my favourite part of this entire story are the dreams themselves. I found them very vivid and completely ridiculous, as my own dreams are. I loved the fact that Em was able to logically realize that she was currently in a dream, but still felt as though everything was real. I have this feeling a lot when I have nightmares.

Overall I really thought this was a fun book and I would recommend it to any paranormal reader.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Anna (Enchanted by YA) · Rating 2 out of 5]

***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review***

I recently saw a review where the blogger hadn’t finished the book but said “knowing what a blogger doesn't like can be valuable to publishers and authors too” which I completely agree with, and so she went on to do a review even though she never finished the book she was reviewing. That’s what I’m going to do with Dream On, because while I didn’t finish I thought it only right to explain why, especially since I received it as a review copy and it would feel wrong not to portraying that I wasn’t appreciative.

In the end I stopped at 47%, so I gave it a real good go; but I wasn’t interested enough to carry on. The concept of Dreamwalkers, where people can live in their dreams putting their body in a hibernated state is not something I’ve read before but it isn’t elaborated and explained much. Instead M. Kirher focused solely on the characters using the Dreamwalkers element as a basis to connect it all, and I would have preferred more of the paranormal side to it.

The plot also looked kind of predictable, I admit didn’t read to see how it planned out overall but from what I did there were no big shock moments, and I am a sucker for big twists. Some people like this kind of story instead because it’s more relaxing in a way, and especially good for when you’re stuck in a book slump, but not me personally.

Although to be honest the characters didn’t help. Nothing against the way they were written, but there wasn’t much to make them standout and I think the way Gabe dealt with the whole revelation of Emily not being entirely human didn’t say enough about his character. The disbelief was all there, but with scientist parents I’d expect something more ground-breaking.

I’ve got to be honest, I would only recommend this to people looking for a very quick and light read, and if that’s you then pick this up.

Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I had a wonderful adventure with Emily (Em), with her dreamwalkings and all. Though, I got irritated and impatient on the first few chapters. Irritated with all of Em's rantings on how undeniably gorgeous Gabe is. And, impatient for it took me 10 chapters of Em's and Gabe's oh-so-cute flirting with each other before getting into the main reason I want to read this book--dreamwalking's whatsoever.

And, honestly (since I was given a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review), I found it inappropriate of Em being oh-he's-so-gorgeous-I-have-to-know-more-about-him towards Gabe when she first saw him in the train. It's like: Why the sudden change of personality? Since she was introduced as some sort of an outcast, I expected her to be the reserved one who wouldn't thought much about gorgeous guys wandering around the place.

As for Gabe, well, it was an irony being a punky-looking-oh-so-gorgeous guy suddenly being curious of some outcast of sort. Not that I don't approve of his and Em's lovestory, in fact, I always look for a perfect couple whenever I read a book. I just don't expect it this time. And the fact that it consumed almost half the book, I've convince myself I wont give it 4 stars.

Well, halfway to finishing the book, I felt anticipated since the dreamwalking thing has started just in time I got tired of all the cheesiness. Hell, it got me big time. I had great time. It's like I'm really there and I'm just dreamwalking!

After all, I have to say thanks to Em's fractured-minded mother. If it wasn't for her, there'll be no fascinating journey ahead of the story.

To end things out,I must say, I REALLY HAD A GREAT TIME READING IT! M. Kircher made a great job! I won't regret reading this book.

[Candielouhoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily and her Mom are sleepers. Not normal like you and I go to sleep and then wake up in the morning. They can go to sleep for days without food or water.
This has never been a problem until Emily’s Father died and her Mother starts sleeping much more often and for longer looking for her Father in dreams.
She and her Mother live a secret life because of who they are and because Emily has taken over her Mother’s job as an author of adventure novels. No one knows she is writing the books instead of her Mother. Until she misses a deadline and Evan the editor becomes curious and pays a visit with a request not only to meet the author but to ask her to do a national book tour.
Gabe, a new kid at school has also become a problem. He loves the books and gets a little too curious about Emily! She ends up telling him the whole story after she realizes that she is going to have to help her Mother come back from her dreams.
Gabe and Evan both want to help her find her Mother. But they are not sleepers and if they are in the dreams too long they could die! Emily warns them but they still want to help.
Adventures from the books start to ensue the moment they enter her dreams. They follow clues from one dream to the next in search of her Mother! Time is running short and Evan and Gabe need to wake up but they lack one more clue to find her Mother.
To find out if they survive the adventures and return to safety or if her Mother Dreams On check out M. Kircher’s latest novel Dream On.
What I liked about this book was the detail when Emily and Gabe were in the dreams following the clues to get to the next place. If I had to say something I didn’t like I guess it would be the pace. I found myself at times having to put the book down and come back to it later.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily and her mother have an interesting ability--they're able to walk in the world of their dreams for as long as they want to (without the need of food or drink). Wouldn't that be so cool? There are some dreams that I would love to re-live over and over again--those happy ones. It seems that most of Em's are nightmares. I could do without those and that's why she chooses to live more in reality.

Lily, the mother, is sleeping more and more, trying to search for and spend time with her deceased husband. Em has to take on more and more responsibility, in order to take care of and provide for herself and her mother--all while still in high school. Em is a very strong character. With a mother who is slowly slipping away from reality, she has to be.

Gabriel is the new boy in town and he knows that something is going on with Em, that she's hiding something. Determined to figure out what secrets Em keeps, Gabe becomes persistent and once he becomes privy to them, he does what he can, along with Evan (Lily's boss), to help this family out. The thing that really struck me with Gabe is that he's not at all like he seems. He's a boy who looks rough and wild. He's described as having multiple facial piercings, yet a more determined and sweeter friend couldn't be found. He's very persistent, not to mention very good-looking.

I enjoyed seeing this strong girl let her guard down and allow these two men into her life to help her out. There are just some things that you can't do alone. I loved the way they all worked together to solve their problems.

Content: no language; very mild violence (nightmares); kissing, a boy and girl lying next to each other in order to dream. Clean!

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Levian · Rating 4 out of 5]

ever since her father's death, Emily had been taking care of her mother, Lily. the female in their family were dreamwalkers, having the ability to explore the dream worlds for as long as they choose, which on the surface seemed just like hibernating. Lily had refused to move on from the death of her husband, but to repeatedly reliving their memory by revisiting the moments in her dreams. for years, Emily had written a series of books, published under the name of her mother, earning enough income to put them in a secluded apartment. however, when she met Gabe, a new guy in school that was a huge fan of her series, who also stumbled upon her secret, she frantically tried to dismiss him but to no avail.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review (Lovers of Paranormal). the first half of the book was an absolutely fast read. Emily was a character so believable that it was easy to step in her shoes, imagining the things she did to protect her mother and herself. Gabe was an acceptable character, he may not be a lovable one but his boyfriend role was understandable in a YA novel. Evan on the other hand was far from believable. at some point, i hoped for him to be a villain, to at least complicate things, making them interesting when the dream-jumping got dull. i was surprised to find myself losing interest with the repetitive idea of dream-jumping during the second half of the book, because losing interest at this point of any book rarely happened. i was pleased that in the end, everything worked out even though it was highly expected.

my review: here

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

**I received this book in exchange for an honest review (LoP or Lovers of Paranormal)**

I found this book very confusing and difficult to understand. I think that's probably due to me reading it a short period of time but still I just really couldn't get away with it.

The main character is Em, she is a teenage girl living alone with her mother who is often absent due to her ability I walk through dreams. I found Em really quite annoying, I get that she was practically by herself a lot of the time and she was trying to save the boys by pushing them away but the way she did it made her seem rude and a bit like a spoiled brat.

Thhe secondary characters were her mother, love interest and her mother's book publisher. Her mother seemed the most understandable character and even she was annoying due to the fact she was so wrapped up in herself and her grief she couldn't function. And the love interest and book publisher seemed to get involved in the whole situation by force and blackmail making it highly difficult to understand why the female characters were falling head over heels in love with them.

The story pacing was ok,it seemed that the book had very little natural flow and everything was very stopy starty as if no real progress was actually being made. I also felt that the big seam sequence was also a little fast as if it had been jammed in at the last minute and needed to cover a lot of ground.

The storyline was a brilliant concept and I actually felt that this book could be really successful if some improvements on characters and pacing was made.

1.5 stars I'm very sorry just not a book for me.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I haven't read too many dream walker books so the premise of this one intrigued me. I liked the idea of being able to get lost in your dreams for however long you wanted without worrying about eating or the outside world. The problem is that Emily's mother does this dream walking to be with her deceased husband and to hell with the outside world, including Emily. So Emily is left to fend for herself and hide away why her mom, a best selling author, isn't around. She resents her mother and her "ability" and doesn't understand why she chooses her dead husband over her very living daughter. Add to the mix the very curious, very attractive new boy at school, Gabe.

I enjoyed this story about Emily and her dream walking capabilities. I think that Emily is a strong character and I love her sarcasm and wit. Gabe seems like he would be a decent guy for Emily, if he can get past his mild curiosity of Emily's mother. The story is well written and very engaging to the reader. It's suspenseful because you enter someone else's dream world and you're not sure where you are going to end up or what you are going to see. It's pretty amazing. There were a couple of things that were left unexplained and I'm wondering about them. I don't think it would be a spoiler to say that I would like to know why, when Emily touches Gabe, she gets an actual electrical "surge" or shock, or why Emily seems to have more nightmares than her mother. Other than that, I give Dream On 4 books.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and Thought provoking


I like this author’s style. Easy to read and well edited. The characters weren’t quite believable and some of the stories “rules” just don’t work. It takes place in the future and we pick up some of the things that are different as we go. Kind of a big brother scenario with government cameras watching, violence of any kind outlawed, the government decides your future career, etc. All this and a book editor has no problem breaking and entering, then bossing around high school seniors because he’s the “adult” who is smitten with the mother. This adult doesn’t seem to make very good decisions either. And with all this government watching, how has our heroine managed to survive and provide for her semi-comatose mother for five years? I like the story and the possibility of being able to go into someone’s dreams. The book isn’t nearly as complicated as the preview blurb I read. Everything is pretty straight forward and easy to follow. I saw a lot of potential here but it just didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review (LOP).

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise behind this book is really interesting and I think the author pulls that part off pretty nicely. It takes an elaborate imagination to think up some of the settings in this story. The dialogue was a bit weak though and some of the situations the characters were in (outside of the paranormal aspect) just didn’t seem realistic. Emily is a bit dramatic at times, and overly sensitive to some of the comments made by Gabe. Gabe was, overall, my favorite character. Quirky, fun-loving, and punkish were his best traits, though he did have some pushiness as well. As the description states, he “makes it is mission” to figure out what’s going on at Em’s house… stalker much? I just don’t see him being that nosy with so little interaction between the two prior to that point in the story.

Overall, not a bad story, just not as full as it could have been. This writer definitely has potential, and I definitely recommend her as a new author to read. Her other series is absolutely worth perusing. Received for an honest review.



Rating: 3

HEAT Rating: Sweet

Reviewed By: Daysie W.

Review Courtesy of: My Book Addictions and More

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so so different and its crazy good. The main character emily needs to save her mom because they're both dreamwalkers.that's their biggest secret and she ends up having to tell the two people who will help her save her mom. The amazing thing is the whole "saving mom" things takes place in dreams. While in the dreams emily encounters her fears, maybe possibly falling in love, and having to figure things out. She's suppose to be a normal teenager without any huge responsibilities but she handles hef whole life including her moms. The book is a thrill and I love emily. She's a stubborn person and in the book its funny to see her overcome things. The book kept me feeling like I was running out of time and its a mystery finding out if she gets her mom back to reality. The romance playing out while everything is going on was set really well and towards the end was also another problem to face. I was pleased with the book. It was funny, sweet, entertaining, and thrilling.

Ps. I received a free copy to write an honest review and tell my opinion about the book from the author in pdf format from Teen Critics R&R club.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so this book was an amazing read. But even more than that this book was so different from anything else that I've ever read and in this day and age. Emily and her mother are both able to walk through dreams and this is both a good and bad thing. While they could stay in their dreams as long as they want, the world keeps moving around them and with that their body still ages, even though the person is still asleep. So while being in a dream is often times better than reality, it isn't always better for the body or the person. Well this is the conflict that Emily finds herself dealing with, with her mother. Her mother doesn't seem to want to come back to reality with some recent events that have happened. Emily has had a rough childhood that she overcame and now she needs to find a way to help her mother and of course now Gabe comes into her life. The author kept me guessing until the very end, but it was well worth it. I very much enjoyed this book and unfortunately my review is a little shorter than normal because I don't want to give too much away from the story, so make sure to pick up your copy!!!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The first page hooked me right away when it talks about Emily and how she deals with stress of trying to keep her family together. I really liked this book because Emily is strong character and the way she reacts and handles her situations were very realistic that I felt what she felt. I had many favorite moments in this book like how her and Gabe met. Adorable!! Gabe is an understanding and patient guy, couldn't think of a better character to pair up with Emily. Her mom though, made me want to slap her and tell her to get herself together but it's all part of this awesome story. The premise was unique as well since I've never read a book about going into dreams and I highly recommend this. The only problem was that the ending was too short and I wish the author wrote about what happened when they got to school letting everyone know they're a couple, stuff like that. Maybe a sequel? Perhaps? Hopefully?



I received this book for free in return for a review.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free review copy of this book from the author.

This book wasn't for me. I have seen a number of positive reviews and the plot sounded super cool, so I went into this excited to begin. Unfortunately, it wasn't anything like I expected.

I think the main reason behind this was that I didn't like the protagonist, Emily. She had her good side - she was caring and very responsible - but that was overshadowed for me due to her constantly whining about her life and responsibilities. Many times, I felt she was feeling too sorry for herself. She also tended to be very repetitive.

This book is set in the future, which I didn't expect. However, I feel that the talk of new technology was so far from the point - Emily and her mother's ability - that it took from the story rather than added to it.

Overall, this book had so much potential, but I don't feel that it was reached. Maybe it's just me, and I was looking for something too different going into the story. It isn't a bad book, but I can't say I enjoyed reading it either.

[Twin Opinions · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have read many different paranormal books, but this is a first for me. Dreamwalkers. I love the idea of the book and hope that Kircher writes more on this amazing world. I find it a little sad that our leading lady had to basically raise herself, but it added to her character and made her stronger. I would have liked to seen more of that inner strength.

The characters are strong. Gabe and our editor have very dominating personalities, which I enjoyed. Many times I see weak characters that aren't leads. Not the case here and I am thankful for it. I love Em. She is a great character to me. I love that she uses her mother's dreams to write books. Again the story line is a fascinating concept. Overall, a good read. One I definitely recommend to our YA readers out there!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Enter Em world. It’s a world that no one can no about. Em lives by her rules to keep the world at bay. Will Super cute, goth new guy, Gabe be able to break those rules and get to know the real Em?
Though not an action filled book, this was a good read for me. The author really was about to bring forth Em’s emotional terror that she faced though out the book. There is some real catch your breath moments as well. Gabe is almost too perfect until..well when you read the book you know what I am talking about. All I can say is be ready for a slight roller coaster and some plot twist.

[Denise Keef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a story that left you with that warm, cozy kind of fuzzy feeling in side? If not then you have to read Don’t Bet On It! I absolutely loved this novella by J. L. Salter. It is a fun, light read that ended all too soon. All of the characters in it are well developed and so likeable. This is one of those stories that I had no idea where it was going but when it got there left me with that Awww feeling! Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and you will find yourself smiling as you are reading along…I know I did through the whole story! Thank you once again Mr. Salter for a very entertaining and enjoyable story and I look forward to reading many more of your books very soon!