Apolonia

by Jamie McGuire

“They killed me, but I survived.” Three years after Rory Riordan foiled her own murder, she still trusts no one. Not Dr. Z, the eccentric college professor who has taken her under his wing, not Benji, the endearing, attractive classmate who insists on following her around, and certainly not Cy, the beautifully dark and mysterious boy who sits on the first row in Dr. Z’s Astrobiology class and asks far too many questions. When Rory witnesses Cy being abducted by soldiers in the middle of the night, she finds herself submersed in a world that holds even more secrets than she could imagine--even darker secrets than her own. From #1 New York Times Bestseller Jamie McGuire, experience the perfect combination of her bestselling books Providence & Beautiful Disaster. This New Adult Sci-Fi Romance is an action-packed, whiplash-inducing roller coaster ride. Page after page, this unpredictable, dark and sexy nail biter will keep readers guessing until the very end!

Genres: New Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Aliens, Paranormal Romance

228 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2014

About the author

Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.

Jamie paved the way for the New Adult genre with the international bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Her follow-up novel, Walking Disaster, debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists in all four categories. Beautiful Oblivion, book one of the Maddox Brothers series, also topped the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at #1. In 2015, books two and three of the Maddox Brothers series, Beautiful Redemption and Beautiful Sacrifice, respectively, also topped the New York Times, as well as a Beautiful series novella, Something Beautiful. In 2016, Beautiful Burn made an appearance on the New York Times and USA Today, and was also named iBooks' Romance Book of the Year. The same year, A Beautiful Funeral also topped the New York Times bestseller list.

Novels also written by Jamie McGuire include: apocalyptic thriller and 2014 UtopYA Best Dystopian Book of the Year, Red Hill; the Providence series, a young adult paranormal romance trilogy; Apolonia, a dark sci-fi romance; and several novellas, including A Beautiful Wedding, Among Monsters, Happenstance: A Novella Series, and Sins of the Innocent.

Jamie is the first indie author in history to strike a print deal with retail giant Wal-Mart. Her self-published novel, Beautiful Redemption hit Wal-Mart shelves in September, 2015.

Jamie lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband, Jeff, and their three children.

Find Jamie at www.jamiemcguire.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Instagram.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pre-read reaction: Something tells me I'm going to regret this, but I seriously want to figure out how McGuire handles sci-fi. I didn't try "Red Hill" because I love zombie novels too much and with the issues her past paranormal series have had with worldbuilding (i.e. Providence) plus with awkward or non-existent character motivations (Beautiful Disaster, Walking Disaster, etc.), I didn't think I'd find anything in that worth writing home about.

We'll see.

Post read-reaction: I didn't think I was going to survive this one, but I managed to scrape my way out. Ye gods, this was bad.

Full review:

*exhales slowly* There may be the lot of you who say "Rose, you brought this one on yourself, woman. You ran into the fire and got burned."

I did get burned, but probably not the way I expected to with this read. Because I had the feeling that Jamie McGuire writing sci-fi would probably end up being disaster-ridden (no pun intended). I expected a hero like Travis Maddox being an alien arriving on a ship from outer space, and a virginal, damaged heroine holding out her arms saying "Take me with you!" a la Katy Perry's song of "E.T." (which ironically McGuire said inspired her to write this book.)

But that's not what happened. Instead I ended up observing something much worse. Much worse than Maddox-esque alien and virgin heroine with troubled past making babies? Yep, if it were possible, this was worse.

First off, this book felt like two very different stories that were smooshed together to try to make one. This book is titled "Apolonia", but that's false advertising and not accurate to the book's presentation at all. I'll explain why in a bit. Second, the vast majority of the book was so boring that watching paint dry would be a much more effective use of time. Poor writing was a constant through the book, and honestly - I don't think it had an editor. It was that obvious. Sentence structure and phrasing was repetitious, spotty, and very tedious to read. The conversations between the characters were static, the so-called humor missed the mark on several counts, the characters themselves were dull and trite NA cliches, and couple that with the racism (I apologize to anyone who identifies as Egyptian, because this book will make you rage on the level of undermining your cultural history and people), sexism, ageism, and pretty much ridiculous paint by numbers story that has shoddy motivation and expansion - this book was not good.

I'll divide my reactions to this book into two parts: the New Adult college romance story, and the so-called epic sci-fi thriller story. Ready, steady, go!

Part I: The New Adult Romance with non-sapiosexual friendly characters and a tragic past that would be more tragic if it wasn't beaten over your head umpteenth million times

So here's the breakdown of where this book begins. We have a heroine (Rory) who is a SUPER-genius (not really) and scientist supposedly picking up under a professor (Dr. Z) that her father used to work with. The "used-to" tag being linked to a part of the heroine's tragic past.

The tragic past being that her whole family was murdered. She is the lone survivor. The book take the opportunity to choose odd times in telegraphing to you about how this tragedy unfolded. Before I get to my issues with how hard it was to identify with Rory's situation a la the "tragic past", let me talk about why this book is not-sapiosexual friendly. (For the record, I'm sapiosexual, which means I tend to find myself attracted chiefly toward intelligent stuff, people, etc. for the long and short of the explanation.)

This entire book gives off an air of false intellectualism. It makes me think that McGuire was trying to write a story with a smart heroine, and the whole measure came across as very fake and seeming like it wanted to delve into science-y topics, like brief mentions of organic photosynthesis and running experiments in a laboratory environment. But really - someone (like yours truly) with a science background can look at this book and see that many of the expansions (or lack thereof) were chock full of tritely explained B.S. And you can tell it - it feels fake as it tries to limp its way through studies on a rock that came from unknown origins. Someone who did their research into organic matter or earth science or planetary musings could've actually given something to the table with this and made it seem like the heroine (and pretty much all the characters in this book) knew what they were talking about.

All of the haphazard incorporation of studies and lab experiments, and trips to The Gym (don't ask me why it's capitalized, I still have no idea) were supposed to be measures to establish the environment of the heroine working towards the love triangle relationship that she ultimately finds herself between as the book goes on. It also provides something of a framework for her work given the murder of her family and their sacrifice for something greater in that.

Unfortunately, none of it worked. Even from the angle of Rory's tragic family demise and her being the one lone survivor, I couldn't feel for her because of the way this narrative chose to beat me over the head with her expansions of this event. Also, the way that this was done left a horrible taste in my mouth that had very little to do with the crime/tragedy that came across.

Yes, the book begins with "They killed me, but I survived" - but that's pretty much the only interesting and non-cringe worthy line you're going to get from Rory's account of things. Instead of being identifiable with Rory's grief, you get all-the-love-of-holy lines like this one:

"Christ, she was beautiful. Even her last day on this earth with mascara running down her face and a rag tied tightly across her mouth, she was the embodiment of beauty."

This is Rory describing her mother in the moments before she died. Oh yeah, really beautiful image of Rory's mother having blood pool at the back of her head and her eyes staring blankly into space in death. Just beautiful, right? /sarcasm

*stares*

This is so not cool. McGuire tends to think that romanticizing torture is an acceptable thing and makes people feel for the person who suffers at the hands of it. Rory's telegraphing of her torment and the tragedy befalling her family threw me out of the story several times - on behalf of lines like this and others that supposedly tell me what I'm supposed to feel and somehow romanticize her parents and sister's deaths in a way that undermines the natural emotions of rage, anger, hurt, and horror among other things that she feels in this situation.

In a line from an Emilie Autumn song that sums up my reaction to this: "You think this torment is romantic/Well, it's not, except to you..." (from "Swallow" off her "Opheliac" album)

There's another issue to be had here, considering Rory's work with Dr. Z. You have two dudes who come into the picture in a haphazard love triangle (Cyrus and Benji) who vie for Rory's affections and have rather cumbersome issues getting in the way of that process. The conversations leading up to these attractions were unfulfilling, tedious and just plain odd. I think even romance readers would be bored at the lack of chemistry and plodding pacing in the interactions between Cy, Benji and Rory.

Rory (of course) is your typical slut-shaming, holier-than-thou abrasive virgin. (In other words, it's following a long line of cookie cutter characters in this genre, with haphazardly handling of important issues and identities.) She telegraphs all of her emotions (leaving no room for imagination), and falls for guys at the drop of a hat. Including (note: not Benji and Cyrus) men that she knows have had a history of sexually assaulting women and somehow don't get convicted because somehow the women "drop the charges."

I think I'm starting to realize how much McGuire (and I have no idea why) somehow wants to shame people who are survivors of sexual assault who have the audacity to report it. As if it's not hard enough for people to take victims seriously. And - on another level - somehow romanticize people who *would* sexually assault. And no, it's not made okay by the fact that the heroine decks this dude who makes an advance on her, and one of the heroes follow up with threatening and beating up the moron. The fact that she knows the dude who looks "hot" as being a perp of sexual assault and desiring him despite that made me want to scream my rage to the skies above.

*sighs* Rant on that aside, this book is utterly devoid of any kind of sci-fi leanings for a good chunk of the book (to the latter 60% range). It would be a typical College NA romance with contrived, duly paced progressions until you realize that one of the LIs is an alien who's trying to avert a disasterous circumstance where not only his angry, powerful alien fiance could wreck havoc on Earth, but also a dangerous parasite could wipe out humanity from the wide expanse of space. And it all has to do with that one little rock that Rory and Co. happen to be studying.

Sounds weird and implausible? That's because it is. So we'll move to the next section.

Part II: The Sci-Fi "Thriller" that never was, and all the cultural offenses that came with it

There were many times that I kept wondering why this book was even classified as being sci-fi until I hit about 65% of the book (or thereabouts). It's not until that point that the novel's namesake even shows up, so really this book has no business being called "Apolonia" - it's false advertising. Really, this book felt like it was written in two separate scopes that never came together right.

It seemed like on one hand it tried to appease the NA contemporary romance crowd, but at the same time tried to bring in a sci-fi crowd with a promise of developed, pulse pounding action. The reality? Everything felt contrived and rushed. No explanations, very little expansion, and a whole mess of offenses on the caboose of the derailed train. But hey, as long as the girl gets the guy (at least one of them, and it's obvious after a time who it is), who cares, right?

(Wrong.)

In addition to the usual offenses of sexism/gendered stereotyping, this book added to a line of cultural appropriations that made my jaw drop at the mention. Usually I would love learning about mythology, especially of cultures (like Egyptian) that have mysterious elements to their roots and links to deities and their identities. Unfortunately, while McGuire chose to make one of her heroes "Egyptian" - it was just a way to make the character supposedly "exotic" and "otherworldly"- in a fetish type situation that made me think "I can't believe I'm reading this."

Oh, and not to miss the line in which Rory says something akin to "Those of us who are non-Egyptian say it like this." In a humored way.

WTF man? Cultural isolation, arrogance and belittlement, much?

There's a really haphazard explanation of Egyptian mythology tying into the alien prophecy and conflict of the rock being studied, the alien that Rory discovers, and the whole mess of them trying to avoid CIA operatives who wish them harm (really, dude? I don't think McGuire knows how to write about the CIA and what they're in charge of accurately).

Then there's the issue of the women who are in this novel. Apolonia included. She's supposed to be the alien fiance of one of the heroes of this book. She's given an "exotic" appearance, an angry temper, broken language skills (she knows English, but her language is given a non-descript, vaguely beautifying flare), and a penchant to kill anyone who stands in her path. But her development and handling feels empty. As well, pretty much all of the women (probably save for the heroine) has traits that are somewhat all encompassing in villainizing them - either they're bitchy/whorish (and there's plenty of sexual shaming to go around, mostly at the lips of the heroine), angry and ready to destroy anything in their path, or other single-dimensioned portrayals. It's true that each character may have a fatal flaw, but to play into so many gender stereotypes at once? In a genre that's already problematic and formulaic with them? I think not.

Apolonia's supposed to be portrayed (I think) as a POC, but it's such a threadbare and stereotypical presentation that I hung my head at the portrayal and notations surrounding her. For a character that was the namesake of the novel, she really didn't have much ground to stand on. Neither did those working under or around her. Instead, it was all about the love triangle and the petty back and forth of "who is Rory going to choose?" Whether it was the mysterious alien lover (who really had little chemistry with her other than his constant confessions of love) or the guy who waited hand and foot on her for much of the novel but somehow had a dark secret of his own.

The overarching sci-fi conflict is really threadbare and even noted by the heroine as being implausible. That tells you a lot there - it's hard to be convinced of an explanation if your own character is so actively dismissing it in different instances. There are some moments that manage to ramp up the tension, but it's killed just as soon as it begins, and really has no heart behind it.

When I finally finished reading the digital copy of this, I could feel nothing more than relief at having gotten through it. From this, I have no confidence that McGuire can successfully blend genres or even write a tale in the vein of sci-fi or romance (and notably, I love both genres, even with sci-fi being one of my all time favorites to read). My advice: skip this one. It's not worth the time or expense. It's poorly written, poorly paced, lacks any kind of identifiable characterizations and action/intrigue.

Overall score: 0 stars

[Can't sleep · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book really, really sucked. I mean suck, suck, suckety suck suck. Suckeroooony suckerton McSuck.

Seriously, did I get the first draft from Amazon by accident?

I was surprised, because her other books have been fine. I think she may have got an intern to write this. I think also that intern had been on a five day bender before sitting down to the task.

So, there is this girl. She is fundamentally unlikeable, but has suffered a very New Adult full-horror situation, so you have to forgive her and keep reading because she is going to get laid soon and that will make it all better and make her likeable. Yay.

Anyway, she is at college and she only has one lecture to attend all week, which is handy, because she works very hard at that one lecture, and is a research assistant in a basement afterwards. Which keeps her very busy.

As a research assistant, she studies a rock. Not sure what she does to it, she just looks at it through a microscope, then fills in data. She does not find the rock interesting in any way. I think she was missing a trick here, because the rock was probably the most believable character.

There is this love triangle thing, without any build up, tension or point, and simultaneously there is not enough people and loads of barely sketched weird characters that have bearing on the badly paced word vomit of a plot.

At times, the story just went haywire. One moment someone is wearing just a top and underwear in bed, the next moment they are taking off their jeans. At other times, the writing was aiming for one of those really cinematic moments where the main characters look out on the world burning and say something literary like "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds," but such moments are inserted in rambling scenes without any pace or tension.

Man, this book SUCKED.

[Aestas Book Blog]

OMG!!!!! A new Jamie McGuire book!!!!

"...a breathtaking new tale of love and survival."




“They killed me, but I survived.”

Three years after Rory Riordan foiled her own murder, she still trusts no one. Not Dr. Z, the eccentric college professor who has taken her under his wing, not Benji, the endearing, attractive classmate who insists on following her around, and certainly not Cy, the beautifully dark and mysterious boy who sits on the first row in Dr. Z’s Astrobiology class and asks far too many questions.

When Rory witnesses Cy being abducted by soldiers in the middle of the night, she finds herself submersed in a world that holds even more secrets than she could imagine--even darker secrets than her own.

From #1 New York Times Bestseller Jamie McGuire, experience the perfect combination of her bestselling books Providence & Beautiful Disaster. This New Adult Sci-Fi Romance is an action-packed, whiplash-inducing roller coaster ride. Page after page, this unpredictable, dark and sexy nail biter will keep readers guessing until the very end!

***************

She released a blog post that said that this book is romance and relationships focused all the way through, and contains the steamiest sex scene she's ever written. She says it's a dark, funny, romantic, action-packed whirlwind :)

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upon hearing that a song inspired APOLONIA my interest was piqued.
Katy Perry’s song - http://youtu.be/t5Sd5c4o9UM got Ms. McGuires gears turning on writing a sci-fi romance book.

Rory is a loner with no trust for others who happens to be a college student. Three years ago she watched her family be murdered as the killers left her for dead. Now, she’s working for Dr. Z, a college professor, on his top secret project. Rory sort of has a friendship with two fellow classmates but overall she doesn't count on anyone. The romance between Rory and one of her classmates is slow building throughout the story.



Her work for Dr. Z is something “others” want. The story begins to pick up when the “others” have come to collect this 'thing' that Dr. Z has kept hidden.

Jamie McGuire has created a SciFi about a girl who was left behind and must find out if she can trust the people in her life. “...I’d follow you anywhere.” Love is something she must learn to give and accept.

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xUyDd2

Standalone

**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**

[praiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Clears throat*

*Adjusts glasses*



*(Am I even allowed to do multiple asterisks or is that inaccurate?)*

*(Wait, sorry... review)*

*(I get easily distracted)*

*(P.S No spoilers)*

After careful consideration (Well... not THAT careful, just seemed like a good place to start) I officially declare this a 3.5 star-book.

Did I like it?



I don't know if I would have picked this up if it wasn't Jamie McGuire, because I prefer really classic Sci-Fi and I get all snobby because half the time when non-Sci-Fi writes venture into this territory, everything sounds stupid and it's like they don't even TRY to make it sound scientifically accurate! Yeah I know, I know, it's fiction but it's also SCIENCE fiction. Y'know?

Since I've been really unorganised during this terrible attempt at a review so far, I'll just list what I liked and didn't like, okay?

GOOD THING - Jamie knows her stuff. Limited in finesse as her deliverance-of-information is, the Sci-Fi aspect of it surprisingly reads well and doesn't sound messy.

BAD THING - The first couple of chapters are kind of repetitive.

If it wasn't for the blurb, you wouldn't know that this included anything abnormal until half way through the book. That was a huge disappointment for me. It's as if NA / Sci-fi have been literally separated to feature in each half of the book. The little hints weren't enough, It felt like a typical N/A and I was just twiddling my thumbs waiting for the good stuff, if you will.



THERE WAS TOO MUCH... - Information overload. With NO warning or hints. You know the whole big reveal thing? It was more like a big let's-just-switch-genres-and-do-it-without-sufficient-build-up. It should have been delivered in bits and pieces instead of all at once.



THING-THAT-MADE-ME-ANGRY TRIANGLE. A FREAKING TRIANGLE. GRR.

OH, AND ALSO - I don't think the things Rory felt / did justifies why she was so attached to Cy! Their interactions are infrequent and eye-roll worthy at best. She's basically obsessing over a guy she sits next to without saying a word for months. It just lacked good relationship development.

THIS:





...Is a very accurate equivalent to how it went down.

JUST-A-GENERAL-NOT-GOOD-NOR-BAD-INPUT - Can you spell VARIETY? Jamie can write all types of characters well. From someone who created Travis Maddox it's impressive how well she created not one, but TWO oxfords/khaki wearing guys in one book. Benji was my favourite character throughout the whole thing. Oh and Rory? She's awesome. All badass and cold, with a Girl-with-a-dragon-tattoo complex.

SAVING GRACE - The ending! I can't say anything because of the non-spoiler promise but it's well rounded and feels finished.

I wanted to make this kind of neutral but I think I made it more negative than positive. But hey, honest reviews right? Hope you guys enjoy Apolonia. Good luck readers!

[Penelope · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jamie McGuire is one of my "go-to authors". I can usually pick up one of her books and be quite entertained. When teasers for Apolonia started to hit the webs, I knew I had to one-click it. I mean, look at that gorgeous cover! Anticipation was high leading up to the release day and that pretty little e-book would grace my Kindle. I was only a few pages in when I realized this was not McGuire's usual writing. Oh no. A few pages in and I didn't want to continue. How I got through this novel still surprises me.

Apolonia is a billed as a "sci-fi dark romance". Rory Riordan reminded me of a lame Lizbeth Salander knock off. The short dark hair, the angsty bitch persona, and the traumatic life. The only difference is, Rory was wishy-washy.
I think she could have been something great, if she had more substance and if the angst ridden teenage girl card wasn't already so overplayed.

The lead up to her love interest was barely there. One minute she hated him being around, the next minute her mouth was on his nether regions and so forth. I love me a good sex scene. McGuire does a fantastic tease leading up to sex scene's in her books. She should probably stick to the tease, because this sex scene fell very flat. The love triangle was a lacking, and was hard to care who she ended up with at the end of the book.

The plot probably would have been better off written as a novella. There just wasn't enough meat to it. It wasn't until you were almost to the end of the book before the real sci-fi came into play. Unless you can count Rory and the not so mysterious Cy studying a rock for hours and hours every single day.

Bottomline is I recommend this to no one. It was terrible and very disappointing coming from someone like Jamie McGuire. One big snooze-a-polooza!

[Angelica · Rating 1 out of 5]

APOLONIA, BY JAMIE MCGUIRE

According to Goodreads, this is one of the best sci-fi books of 2014, and that's why I bought it. Spoiler alert: it's not.

Synopsis: Rory, a beautiful and unique girl, is in college trying to get her life back together after the horrible torture, rape and murder of her parents, her best friend and herself. (Yes, "murder" of herself. She's very adamant about the fact that she was killed that day.) She meets Benji and Cy, two incredibly handsome and muscular men who are immediately attracted to her. She works with Dr. Zorba, a friend of her father's, in his research of a very special rock. This research culminates on an alien invasion and the almost complete destruction of the town she lives in. Oh, yes, and she finds true love in the middle of it.

Overall enjoyment: I had to force myself to keep reading, and it was a very uncomfortable experience, with the way my eyes kept rolling almost impulsively after every sentence.

Plot: It's exactly as I described on the synopsis. The entire first half of the book is just about Rory meeting Benji and Cy, and the infantile love triangle; suddenly, there's aliens shooting up the place out of nowhere. There's very little thought dedicated to the actual sci-fi part, it seems like an afterthought. There are so many overused tropes, very badly applied, it feels like you've already read the book a thousand times.

Characters: Inconsistent at best, downright unlikable most of the time. Calling them two-dimensional is an exaggeration: they're one-dimensional, at most.

World/setting: Nothing special.

Writing style: A bunch of overused tropes and clichés put together. There were a lot of inconsistencies with that, too: sometimes everyone sounds very formal and uptight, right after that they curse constantly, and then they become intimate and colloquial enough to seem sleazy. There are cringe-worthy attempts at humor, exaggerated attempts at drama, a completely unnecessary sex scene and such desperate attempts to make Rory relateable that she ends up not being a character at all. There are also many narrative inconsistencies; for instance the thing about Rory being killed. At first I thought it was symbolism for her old personality being killed by her trauma, but then she makes it very clear that she actually died and then came back. I was expecting it to be used later in the story, and it just isn't, it's almost like she forgot about it. And the plot twists are absurd to the point of comical.

Representation: Inexistent for all minorities (unless you count unconscious children being tortured representation). There is an insinuation that Rory might be bisexual, but the context in which it is presented is very negative. She is describing all the degradation Rory put herself through right after her trauma, and she makes it seem like that is not something anyone sane and healthy would do. There is also a staggering lack of female characters; besides Rory, there are two aliens who barely talk and have no actual personality to speak of and one who is an evil bitch.

Political correctness: There was so much misogyny in this book it was painful to read. Starting with the completely unnecessary sexual trauma Rory went through (which is badly characterized), going on with constant slut-shaming and bitch-shaming (women who complain are worthless) and topping it off with Rory being surrounded and defined by the male characters. Both Benji and Cy are emotionally abusive and display stalker behavior, and that is presented as being the most romantic thing that could happen. There is an enormous warped sense of priorities: Rory is being chased by soldiers into a space ship that was incinerating the city and the foremost thought in her head is annoyance that the alien girl is so pretty. Even the sex scene is incredibly misogynistic: she describes Rory going down on Benji in detail, but he makes no attempt at foreplay on her at all and assumes she's excited enough and ready to be fucked just because he allowed her to suck his dick.

I know I'm being very mean in this particular review, but I'm getting really tired of this kind of book. Maybe that's a consequence of the challenge already, in the most other books I've read women being treated as people is a basis. I probably would have given up on this book if it weren't for the challenge, though. I'm honestly just pissed off that what little free time I have right now was taken up by reading this.

Up next: Dreams of Gods & Monsters, by Laini Taylor

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried reading the first two chapters and I just couldn't get into this book. I had to force myself to go further to hope that it improved . I was bored and thought the character conversations and happenings so far were boring. I know the story is being set up, but I felt that the book should have grabbed my attention within the first few pages. Maybe I didn't give it a chance, but I couldn't read any further.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jamie's march news letter said this is walking disaster meets providence.... pardon my french... but F@#K ME!!! BRING IT ON! that's a book orgasm waiting to happen!

[Kelli Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new book by Jamie McGuire is always at the top of my TBR list, and I have been waiting on this book forever. What I love about Jamie is the fact that she’s not afraid to take risks with her writing, and in the case of Apolonia, she takes a big one and succeeds. I have loved the New Adult genre since it’s conception a few years ago, and ironically, that love started with another McGuire book – Beautiful Disaster. However, after years of the same romance stories being written, I definitely felt as if change was needed. And who better to initiate than the one who pioneered it in the first place.

Apolonia is described as a SciFi novel, and it is that, but it’s also a romance. This means that even if you’re not a science fiction fan, you will still enjoy this book.

Rory Riordan is an orphan. Her entire family and best friend were killed a few years ago in a horrific manner. She survived. Now, she’s states away at college being mentored by her father’s old friend and renowned astrobiologist, Dr. Zorba. Add in the model perfect Benji Reynolds following her around like a lost puppy, and you have what should be a normal college experience. For Rory, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Because a new student, Cyrus, enters the picture and upends her world for the second time.

This book is intense. That word may seem overused and understating the events that take place, but it’s actually the most perfect word in this case. We never knew why Rory’s family was murdered, but the effects on her are obvious. That tragedy changed the course of her life and her personality forever. It really set the tone for the entire novel. Apolonia isn’t rainbows and butterflies. It’s dark and cryptic, keeping you guessing the entire way through.

Things feel relatively ‘normal’ until about the 50% mark. That’s when things start to really pick up, and we get an idea of what’s coming. The kidnapping of Cy kicks things off and from there, you won’t know what is true, who’s lying, or what the right thing to do is. I flip flopped between trusting nearly everyone Rory was close to. I wanted to believe everyone was out to help her, but considering her past, it’s not easy to do.

I needed to believe that what had happened to my parents and Sydney happened for a reason. I needed to believe that they were taken, and I was spared to fulfill some purpose, that the universe needed to leave me here, emotionally crippled and alone in my pain. And as crazy as it sounded, I believed Cy played a part somehow.

The romance aspect of the story was perfectly implemented. I feel as if Jamie incorporated just enough to where it didn’t become ridiculous and out of place, considering how the story unfolds. There is a fine line between too much romance and just enough, and she nails it here. I wanted this book to be different than her typical offerings. And if you understand Rory’s personality, I think you can appreciate the different type of love story contained in these pages. Is it a love triangle? Benji or Cy? Who is the love interest? To get those answers you’ll have to read the book and see for yourself. But there IS a scorching hot sex scene that even I wasn’t expecting from Jamie. It’s very well written, and unlike her others. So, have no fear, sex fiends. She scratches that itch for you, too.

Apolonia is a gripping thriller unlike anything you’ve read in the genre. Just when you think you know where the story is taking you, everything flips and you’re left just as lost as you were on page one. A brilliant, thrilling, dark SciFi romance offering with comedic elements, Apolonia will satisfy your thirst for something unique.

I almost saved her section of the review for last, because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Save the best for last? I’ve loved all of Jamie’s female characters because they’re always strong, independent and free-thinking. But Rory takes it a step further and surpasses them all. She’s had to overcome so much in her life, and it’s changed her, made her darker. But her snarky personality is something I can definitely relate to and appreciate.

I couldn’t stop staring at the back of his head, noticing every strand of his dark hair, admiring him and wishing for his sudden death at the same time.

I know I’ve felt this way about people, and it’s comical to think others feel the same, regardless of whether they’re real or fictional.

It was almost as if the gods had made a point to sculpt the perfect body and then were too tired to provide a decent personality.

Her quips and insults are top notch. That’s actually one of my favorite things about Jamie’s writing. She comes up with creative ways to insult even minor flaws.

But underneath her snark and bad assery lies a somewhat broken woman. She’s never fully healed from her loss and doesn’t let anyone in. She’s never spoken about what happened or who she lost. That seems to really have stunted her emotionally, and she’s having trouble keeping out those who want to break through.

I became weirdly defensive when it came to my pain and memories. No one got anything about me, not even Dr. Z, and they didn’t get to say they did. If they understood or related to me, it meant I had to share something that belonged only to me.

Since her family’s murder, she has believed herself invincible and is willing to take risks, believing she cannot die. She puts that theory to test many times throughout the book. As the story progresses and the characters are forced to trust each other and rely on strangers, she begins to open up more. She shares parts of herself that had been untouched. Her changes and growth are also integral to the story, and are quite possibly the most important part.

I had no clue what to make of Benji upon his first introduction. Sure, he was hot and near perfect. But like Rory, that’s not usually appealing to me. Add in the fact that he’s the Golden Boy on campus who could have his choice of co-ed, and you wonder why he’s after Rory. Not because she’s unattractive, but because these guys usually go for the typical blonde sorority sister.

For reasons unknown to me, Benji Reynolds had hunted me like a bluetick coonhound since freshman orientation.

His devotion to her seemed suspicious, but then he began to grow on me. He found ways to compliment her, even when she thought it wasn’t possible. After her haircut:

It’s unique and wild and interesting. Just like you.

You could shave it all off and still be beautiful.

He managed to get under her skin, no matter how hard she tried keeping him away. He wore her down, little by little, refusing to give up.

I promised you mess-free, remember? I’m not saying I’m going to stop pursuing you. I’m just saying I’ll take whatever you give me.

Benji is a nerd, but a super hot nerd. I came to appreciate how he was always there for Rory, especially when she didn’t want him to be. He has some shady moment, and does things that will make you question his loyalty. But then, I always fall for the ‘bad guy’.

I’m the first to admit that in love triangles, I always choose the first guy. Well, almost always. I fall in love with the guy that’s been with the girl from the start, and he’s usually the better of the two. So, in this case, Cy really had no shot with me.

I found him sketchy right away. I don’t know why, but he didn’t seem genuine. Plus, he was just odd. His manner of speaking alone had me questioning ‘who’ or ‘what’ he was. From the moment he arrived at the school, he was intent on being close to Rory and Dr. Z. But there is more to him than what we see on the surface.

I finally trusted him after his rescue.

Thank you for saving me, Rory. You don’t know what you’ve done.

I admit that can go both ways, but my gut said he wasn’t a bad guy. I never really saw Cy as a romantic possibility, but Rory was drawn to him. Their relationship began due to their research with Dr. Z, and they grew closer as they spent more time together. He became a thorn in Benji’s side. By the end of the book, I appreciated him more, but still didn’t see him as a match for Rory.

Apolonia focuses mainly on Rory, Benji, and Cy, but there are a few characters that add a bit of fun.

Dr. Z is the closest thing Rory has to family. He’s a typical professor, but also like an uncle and you can’t help but love him a bit, too.

Ellie is on the opposite side of the spectrum. She’s the villain you can’t help but love to hate. She is the recipient of most of Rory’s snarks and jokes, and they are all brilliant and accurate.

To avoid spoilers, I won’t speak of the rest, but just know there are some shady people present, and you’ll understand why there are trust issues.

[Once · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do admire when authors step out of their comfort zones. When they take a leap of faith into a territory they are strangers in. I applaud McGuire once again for writing a book that stands out from her typical contemporary romance genre. Last year McGuire did this similar move with the book Red Hill, which I loved immensely. No romance, just survival and hope against the zombies. Well McGuire did it again with Apolonia. Now this time, she did incorporate some romance but it was not the forefront of the story. Apolonia takes you on a roller coaster that's out of this world.

Before chatting about the story, I want to take a few moments to gush over the book cover. Isn't it fantastic? I knew as soon as I saw it, I had to read it. The colors and graphics just draw you in. So kudos to the mastermind(s) behind the creation of the cover.

Now on to the story inside the pages of Apolonia. This story follows the recent life of Rory, college student that survived something so horrible and tragic, that its hard to believe. Her parents and sister did not survived this same attack and were brutally murder. And when I say Rory survived, don't think it was your typical survival story either. Rory died but did come back and now believes she can't die. So Rory is left with huge trust issues and resentment towards everyone. How she works around her issues is that she is dedicated to her studies and one professor in particular Dr. Z. Rory helps Dr. Z alongside another student on a special top secret project that only Rory and Cy know what exactly they are doing.

Rory you can say has one friend (sort of), remember those trust issues, yea they are in full affect all the time. So friend might be exaggerating a bit but its the closet person she has left. This boy that follows Rory around like a sad puppy is called, Benji. He is madly infatuated with Rory, and tells her he will wait for her to be able to be more with him. When all these feelings and doubts begin to take shape with Rory, Cy the quiet mysterious guy she has been working with, finally decides to start speaking to Rory. This clouds Rory even more that what she has been. Does she go with the safe choice which is Benji or does she venture towards the unknown which is Cy. Regardless they are both mouth watering (FYI).

Now if you think the romance and angst is the focal point here, no not even close. Believe me when I say the romance is a part of the main picture. Secrets and mysteries begin to unravel and Rory, Cy and Benji are all involved in this circle. The world Rory thought she lived in, will open a new window to something else. And this will put Rory in the center of something supernatural-out-of-this-world that is happening around her. Who will Rory trust after everything is revealed, you have to read to find out.

Highly recommend for the Sci-Fi junkie and of course any fan of McGuire will approve. - Yara

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apolonia is a new action packed paranormal romance by Jamie McGuire. I was super excited when I received an arc copy of Apolonia that I had to start it right away. From page one I wasn’t able to put it down. At first I had to keep reading to figure out what the heck was going on because I felt so lost, but after a few chapters things started to click in my head and then I just had to keep reading to know what was going to happen next. There was nothing slow or boring about Apolonia, the story moves along at a steady pace and the characters draw you in.

I don’t really want to say much about the story itself because I want everyone to discover what the story is really about while they read Apolonia like I did. What I will say is that Apolonia is told from the point of view of strong, independent, college student Rory Riordan. Rory trust no one and doesn’t want to trust anyone, she prefers to be by herself. The only person close to her is Dr. Z, college professor and old family friend she helps assists. Then there is Benji, he follows Rory around like a lost puppy, not carry that was won’t give him the time of day. When new student Cyrus or Cy shows up in Dr. Z class trying to also be his assistant, Rory is anything but happy about it. Events start to unfold intertwining the four into some pretty crazy events.

I loved Rory, she was ballsy, strong and she could definitely take care of herself, just like a lot of Jamie’s leading ladies. Events in her past formed the person Rory was today and because of that I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to trust anyone. Then there was Benji, I swooned over him right away. He was so sweet, funny and very insistent. He could care less how rude or how much Rory pushed him away, he would do anything to just be around here.

Jamie McGuire is probably best known for her New Adult genre of books, but she is still just as good of a writer when it comes to paranormal/fantasy. Just like her other books she does a good job getting the reader's attention and keeping it with strong characters and creative writing. I think people are really going to like the new fresh story from Jamie McGuire. I can’t wait everyone else to experience Apolonia and enjoy it as much as I did.

Arc provided by the author for an honest review.

[✿kawehi.reviews]

According to the author's website:

Apolonia was inspired after Katy Perry's video E.T.



"APOLONIA is the story of a damaged girl who doesn't need anyone but finds that the entire world will need her to survive. A little bit Roswell, a little bit Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, APOLONIA is a dark, funny, romantic, action-packed whirlwind that will keep you glued to the pages while on the edge of your seat."



Hmmm...interesting! ;)

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't think I'll finish this :/

[Valentina "TinchyB" · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I was obviously expecting too much!
Especialy from authtor of Beautifull disaster,which is my top favorite NY book of all time!
Maybe I'm just not in the mood for this kind of book,or I read too much of them,
but this one was too slow for my taste and I was missing that fling which I loved so much in Beautiful series.



Not bad book in global,but not so good either.
Try for yourself and see.

[Avid Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited about a new Jamie McGuire and I loved the way the blurb read! It really sounded intriguing regardless of the fact that I rarely read sci-fi.

“It doesn't make you weak to forgive someone, you know" he said. "No, but it gives people another chance to hurt you.”

Unfortunately Apolonia just wasn't my thing. A lot of people liked it and I am a HUGE Jamie McGuire fans, so don't rule it out based on just my review.

The story was basically about a young girl who need to learn to trust and forgive so she could move forward in life. We can all relate to that.

It was entertaining enough and held my attention until the end. It was written with the same passion and flare that all Jamie McGuire books hold. The characters are well developed and interesting. The setting is different than what I am used to reading and I liked the change. All in all it was fine, just not for me. I still love Jamie and will read anything she writes.

2 stars

[Hollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved McGuires previous work but this book just sucked

This book was so disappointing. I'm still in shock that a writer's whose work I have previously adored wrote this. There was no character depth in this book. The writing was choppy and the plot never once felt intense of had me emotionally connected to this story. There were lots of missing details and upon completion I was only left feeling frustrated that I wasted my time and money on this one. It was just a mess.from beginning to end. Sorry.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I wish I had my money and my time back. worst book I've read this year

[Haidoulina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good but not great.... This story about aliens didn't really work for me... 2 generous stars because is McGuire we talk about and I've loved every other book she wrote so far....

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Originally posted on Bookish Wanderlove.**

4.5 Stars

*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.*

Opening Lines

“THEY’D KILLED ME, but I survived. While lying on the hotel floor, my long black hair saturated with blood, I’d thought my life was over, except it wasn’t.”

I've only read one other book by Jamie McGuire and its Happenstance, which is a Young-Adult, Contemporary Romance novella. From what I gathered her books are normally new adult/young-adult romance novels. So when I came across this on Goodreads I was intrigued! I read the synopsis and thought to myself "This isn't a Jamie McGuire book, Sci-Fi? Really?!" The geek in me let out a squeak of excitement. I was extremely excited and looking forward to getting my hands on Apolonia. Of course before I could even read the synopsis my eyes were glued to the cover. I love the use of colours and how distorted it looks. It has a real Science Fiction feel to it, also it reminded me of something out of ReBoot!!

“Everything that kills me
Makes me feel alive.”
—One Republic, “Counting Stars”

Just before you flip over to page one, Apolonia opens up with some lyrics from OneRepublic. So obviously I played "Counting Stars" a couple of times while reading this, okay fine, more than a couple. Apolonia had me hooked from the first page! I couldn't help but picture Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) as Rory Riordan. Rory is the kind of character that makes you just want to laugh, she's sassy, a badass and 100% independent! I loved the other characters and secondary characters throughout this novel, they all brought something to the story. As much as Cy is attractive, I instantly swooned over Benji. He's just so, UGH!!! I want him.

“My heart was ramming against my rib cage, pumping gallons of blood through my body with such force. My fingers, toes, and eyes were throbbing with every beat. My mind fought to stay in the present, but the yelling and the sound of panic in Cy’s voice brought me back to the night when they’d murdered the people I loved most—including who I used to be."

Jamie McGuire does a fantastic job of keeping the story alive and not once did I find myself bored! I found this book was able to pull out a lot of different emotions out of me, there was one part where my eyes just wouldn't stop watering! I love her writing style and how descriptive Apolonia was, my imagination was running wild with this one. Overall, Apolonia was amazing!! I wish it was series because I want more...well, I don't want to spoil anything. But I want to see these characters again!

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was exhausting read let me tell ya.
The idea is nice, but execution was so poor I seriously considered leaving it be. After torturing myself and the book for over two months I am finally done and can honestly say that I didn't like it. So hard to beleive that it was the same author who wrote Beautiful Disaster. :-/

[Silvers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't think there could be a more slut-shameful book... and then Apolonia walks into the room. Holy fuuu-- does Rory like anyone with a vagina? Why is it so popular for these YA/NA authors to write such abrasive characters who hate the same sex? Has our gender fallen so far?

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good science fiction read; one that lures readers in with the idea of other worldly realms and what that could mean for humans and the world they live in, and I feel like Jamie McGuire delivered that in the second half of Apolonia, but until about the 50% mark, it’s difficult to see the sci fi aspect of the story because it remains hidden behind what appears to be a typical new adult romance story - one with a love triangle between the heroine, Rory, and two mysterious college students, Benji, Rory’s friend who has wanted more with her ever since they met nearly two years ago, and Cyrus, Rory’s fellow student assistant.

Things, though, are definitely not what they seem both in terms of the story itself and the characters who portray themselves to be one thing when there is so much more to each one of them. But once readers get further into the text and start to unravel the small clues McGuire leaves along the way concerning the true nature of the story, it’s clear that there’s a lot more at stake than just who Rory will end up with, and this is where the book will have readers on the edge of their seat until all the mysteries are solved and the world realigns itself however that may be.

I loved Rory. Jamie McGuire definitely captures the pain and scars that Rory carries over the events of her past. She’s a tortured soul who remains an elusive student on campus because she refuses to get close to anyone for fear of losing someone else. Rory’s strength definitely stands out when she’s faced with precarious situations; she’s been on her own for some time now and she’s taken the steps to ensure that she can take care of herself, but that doesn’t mean she’s not lonely or that she doesn’t yearn for someone to lean on when things get overwhelming for her – her fears just prevent her from taking that next step – at least it did until she starts spending more time with both Benji and Cy.

Benji and Cy are both interesting characters, but readers don’t get to understand too much about them until further on in the story, which, in a way, makes it difficult to connect to them or even decide which one is the best choice for Rory. Perhaps this is deliberate on McGuire’s part because that’s truly not what the story is about; in fact, there are much bigger things to worry about as the action and dramatics pick up about halfway through the story, and while that definitely makes sense, I wish the true ideas of the story would have been developed earlier on because it would have helped me be able to dig into the storyline a bit quicker, knowing which aspect to grasp onto and follow until everything becomes clear.

When the science fiction aspect of the story finally comes at readers full throttle, it’s an intense, action packed ride – one that on multiple occasions leads readers one way just to turn them in an opposite direction soon after. The concepts and theories brought into the story to heighten the imaginative content was both captivating and entertaining, but sometimes it felt like information overload because so much of the newly acquired knowledge was presented at one time, making it necessary to re-read in order to clearly understand everything that was at stake for both sides.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Apolonia. Despite the text feeling a bit disjointed and needing further elaboration earlier in the plotline, it’s a well written story that has all of the qualities that a text needs to appeal to readers, and it’s definitely worth the read.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)

[Autom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial thought: Another book by Jamie McGuire? Hells yeah! But its paranormal? Doesn't matter.

Jamie can write anything and I will read it. She is the exception to my rules and has taken my book virginity quite a few times. First book to re-read. First book to be obsessed with. First book to buy a t-shirt over. First Horror. And the list can go on and on... She has my firsts, and I will gladly give her so much more because of what her writing has given me. She gave me Travis "Mad Dog" Maddox . Period end of story. In my eyes, she can have a devoted reader until the end of time. :)

Apolonia was different than what I expected. It is said to be the perfect combination between Beautiful Disaster and Providence. I agree for the most part. The characters had those beloved traits. A bad ass heroine. A hard loving boy. A "You and Me Against the World" theme. All of those deep rooted feelings that you got with BD are here.

But it also has the extra element of paranormal mixed in. Those I will let the reader experience. :)

As everything else Jamie has done, this is written well. You never question where they are at, who's talking, what's going on. We know just enough details about everything without over doing it.

There is only one thing that kept me from giving it a 5 Star. And to me I think it's a little picky since I am comparing it to a book that is incomparable to. On her other books, Maddox anything and Red Hill the world could be ending, and I would not know it. Or care. I was reading my book and that was all that mattered. When Trav got on the bar to give his memorable toast about douchebags and best friends -- I was there and it was happening in my living room. When the teds were closing in on the old couples house -- that happened in my bedroom and they were coming for me. In this book things happened and I was like ummm, ok. It didn't suck me in and affect me like it normally does.

Overall, considering that was my only critique? I would say Jamie did a fine job of putting together another story for readers to love and enjoy. Until next book!!!

[Cocktails and Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I haven't read a good sci fi book in a while, so I was ready for one when Apolonia came my way. But it's a sci fi book that doesn't show it's sci fi colors until over halfway through the book.

APOLONIA is the story of college junior Rory Riordan, who is living but not really. She doesn't have friends, putting up a wall to protect herself from any future hurt when they go away. She trusts no one. Not her family friend and mentor, Dr. Z, not Benji who's followed her around for two years and definitely not Cyrus the new boy in class who's suddenly Dr. Z assistant too. But as both Benji and Cyrus start to break through her defensive walls, Rory finds herself in the middle of a cat and mouse game she could never imagine. And the two people she trusts the most aren't exactly what they seem.

Rory was a tough character to like. She was closed off, rude and most of the time someone you don't want to be near. But after her back story comes out, you can understand why she's the way she is. She's lost everything and she's determined not to care for anyone in fear of losing even more. And as she finally starts to give into Benji and Cyrus, you can see just how much Rory needs someone and how afraid she is to end up alone again. But despite those fears, when she needs to she believes in both Benji and Cyrus and is willing to fight and die to help both of them.

Jamie McGuire does a great job of keeping you guessing in Benji and Cyrus. Are they who you think you are, despite little clues that might not be. Should you trust them to the same level Rory does or is she being taken. Right up until almost the very end of the story I was on the fence about one or both of the characters.

The story is slow building, but when we get to the good stuff it's an action packed ride that you don't want to get off of. The story had the perfect mix of action, suspense and a romance that was hard fought (at least for one character). It was one I'm glad I was able to read.

[Dina Given · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apolonia is Jamie McGuire's recent foray into the sci fi/PNR genre, and I for one am glad she went out on a limb to try something different. This wasn't your typical sci fi/fantasy book where you are immediately immersed in a world of magic and mayhem - at least not in the beginning. For more than half of the book, you would never know you were reading PNR if you hadn't taken a look at the book description. It reads like a straight New Adult Romance novel, completely centered on the budding relationship between two college students, with a third creating a potential love triangle.

Rory is a woman who suffered a horrific incident a couple of years prior and coped by shutting herself off from the world behind a harsh exterior. She is a Lisbeth Salander type who cuts off all of her hair and keeps people from getting too emotionally close to her. Benji is determined to break through her shell with patience and persistence. Then there is Cy, the mysterious lab partner who she is drawn to.

It all sounds like pretty standard romance, and then the book takes a sharp turn into sci fi land, admittedly leaving the reader with a little bit of whiplash. The rock that Rory and Cy have been studying in a lab turns out to be something much more dangerous. It is hunted by military and scientific operatives, which places Rory, Benji and Cy in a very lethal and violent situation.

I don't want to give away the story, so I'll stop there, except to say that I did enjoy this book. Even though there were no sci fi/fantasy elements in the first half, I still enjoyed reading about the romance and love triangle. Then when the action did start, it was well written and enjoyable. I was eager to keep turning the pages throughout the entire book.

If you are a Beautiful Disaster fan, you might find yourself questioning whether this lives up to that standard. But if you are new to Jamie, and enjoy more subtle stories with a heavy romance focus, this might be the one for you.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the ending….
The rest was seriously a miss in my perspective. I didn't understand Rory or her motivations. I mean, she said she didn't want to get attached to anyone but she was already attached to Dr. Z, which was proven by the fact that she went to him every time she had an attack (and to top it off those attacks were kind of weird and didn't make sense).

Then there was the whole I'm-Trying-To-Do-A-Love-Triangle thing between Cyrus and Benji. It didn't work. I didn't feel pulled or torn or confused on who to choose basically because we didn't get much about Cy other than he couldn't eat pizza and spoke in perfect English.

For some reason I was expecting something bigger or better and I was expecting that something to revolve around the main character, Rory. And that being said, I still don't understand why the name of the book was Apolonia? I mean, it was about Rory not the She-Goddess from another planet.

I loved Beautiful Disaster, I even loved the Providence series, I loved the novelty of Red Hill. I didn't love this book - at all. It didn't feel like I was reading a Jamie McGuire book that tears at your heartstrings. It felt like I was reading the bare bones of a Jamie McGuire book that hadn't yet been brought to life.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly did not get this book. I normally am all for all aspects that are involved in this story, but it just didn't make any sense here.

There wasn't a lot of consistency in this plot. I felt like there wasn't enough backstory to the characters, and thus the progression suffered seriously for me. The one thing that bugged me most was where the heck did Majestic come from? I felt like the name popped out of nowhere but I was suppose to know all about it. And then the revelations with Rory's history also came out of nowhere for me.

I feel like so much was thrown in this book, that it wasn't rounded enough to make the story complete. It just fell flat for me. Plus the love triangle? Please. The "other guy", Cy, was "betrothed" to someone else, WHOM THE BOOK IS NAMED AFTER. And she doesn't appear until about 75% of the way in. I just feel like the idea of a love triangle was thrown in to hopefully round out the book more to make it more interesting when it added nothing. I never once was under the impression that Cy felt anything for Rory.

I do love Jamie as an author, but I was so disappointed in this book.

[Blaire Maddox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, let me just say I AM SO SORRY JAMIE! I am a huge fan and this review is just not good. :(


I will say there are a few lines that made me laugh out loud but it wasn't enough to save the book. I had a headache after reading this book because it felt redundant. I felt like chapters repeated themselves and nothing even remotely happened until I reached 60%. I spent the entire book confused and annoyed because I was confused.


This just doesn't seem like Jamie wrote it at all. I've read all her books except the providence series and I was sucked in by page 3 because her writing is usually awesome. This book was not like that. I'm just going to convince myself that she didn't write. it doesn't exist.

[Deirdre · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never heard of Jamie McGuire before reading this book, and after reading it I probably won't be seeking out any of her other writing any time soon.

This was tough to read. Rory is incredibly unlikable, and her interactions with the other characters are inconsistent and annoying. Cy and Benji are one dimensional, boring, and they are practically interchangeable. The inane girl hate with Ellie is grating, distracting, and serves no purpose. The plot is weak, choppy, and and all over the place. I'm honestly finding it hard to think of think of a single moment of this book that I enjoyed.

This wasn't good sci-fi and it wasn't good romance. It was terrible, one of the worst books I've read. Ever.