Twenty-three-year-old Hayden Carlson never led an exciting life, but that was how she preferred it. She never expected that an innocent trail ride in the woods would change her life forever. Suddenly, Hayden is pulled into a world she never knew existed and discovers a future awaits her there she isn't prepared to accept...until she meets the mysterious Jasper. Drawn to his quiet, conflicted spirit and entranced by his blue eyes, Hayden finds herself experiencing feelings she has never felt before and wondering where all this might lead. Hayden's presence in Quelondain creates tension. Amidst constant danger, she finds true love and through it all determines where she will take her stand in the conflict her arrival ignites between good and evil. If you love fantasy, action, and romance, Crossover-Book One in a debut Fantasy Romance trilogy by Mireille Chester-is for you.
Born in Ontario, Canada, Mireille Chester now resides in the beautiful province of Saskatchewan. Wife, mother, author, woods sprite, food lover; she has many hats she loves to fill. A trucker’s wife, she is mom to an emo skater princess, a gaming enthusiast, and a fisherman with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. When not writing, her days are spent hiking, fishing, camping, reading, and watching movies with her family. Mireille is a fantasy author who loves to spend time in made up worlds filled with magic. She is a firm believer that no hero is perfect and that all villains are burdened with a tiny shred of humanity. Whether writing adult or YA, paranormal, apocalyptic, or epic fantasy, her goal is always to take her readers on an adventure they won’t forget.
This is not normally the type of book I read but it was a fun vacation from historical fiction. This is the first book in a trilogy and it's obviously meant to be just a teaser to get you to the other two books. A lot of groundwork and back story is provided to set the tone for what's to come.
It's a fantasy novel so I can't get caught up in the realism of the characters and their reactions to situations, which is probably a good thing. It's fun to just let go and immerse yourself in a completely different world where none of the rules we know mean anything at all.
Luckily for me, I read this book as a book club pick and the author will be visiting group this week. I'm sure I'll be inspired to read the rest of the triology after hearing more about her experiences writing these books.
The only caution I have is that I think this is a bit too mature for young audiences who are often drawn to the fantasy genre. There are quite a few explicit 'intimate' scenes between characters that would not be suitable for teens.
Crossover invites readers to be whisked away into a meager step away world. Mireille Chester immediately entranced me into this mystical land that lay a heartbeat away from our own. Truly a book in which I found that I could not put down.
If action and romance move you as much as they do me, then this is the series for you.
Hayden lives a normal everyday life, she’s studying to become a vet and the rest of her time is devoted to her other passion. . . . horses. She has owned her own horse for over 10 years and spends a lot of her time with him and training other horses in. One day whilst she is out on her horse ‘Dodge’ she comes across a new trail in the forest and sees a man at the opposite end who she is strangely drawn to. She doesn’t pursue at that time and when she returns later with a friend the trail is gone but once she goes back alone it appears again so she decides to take it and see where it leads. Not only does it lead her to the mysterious man but it leads her to a whole other world, a simpler, more beautiful place filled with wonder and magic . . . little does she know that this is just the beginning of a huge adventure for Hayden in which there is a prophecy that has marked her as ‘the chosen one’ and brings enemies from far and wide in an attempt to capture and use Hayden in any way possible but what they didn’t bank on is Hayden’s blossoming powers, her being fated to Jasper ‘the Queen’s Captain’ and the friends she makes along the way.
I didn’t know what to expect really when I said I would review this book (trilogy, actually) but I was really surprised because it was nothing like what I assumed it was going to be. I really enjoyed it actually, for some reason I thought it was YA but it isn’t. What it is, is a nice, easy to read fantasy with all sorts of creatures and magic users set in a not so far away place. We get really likable characters that you want to route for and want to know more about, lots of species, secrets, a prophecy which will interest most readers (who doesn’t love a good old prophecy), enemies galore coming from all over, loyalties are tested and new alliances are formed . . . everything a good fantasy should have and I really enjoyed it ! I LOVE the whole ‘fated’ thing, I’m a sucker for soul mates and these are proper soul mates, not the kind that would go off with someone else at the drop of a hat. NO, these are the ones who are in pain at being separated, only have eyes for each other, can’t keep their hands off each other, dream about their other halves for years before meeting them and lose all interest in the opposite sex once they start dreaming. They would do anything, live their lives and would die for their soul mates . . . . awww who doesn’t want that and it’s all sealed with their first kiss . . .perfect ! A really good start to the series and I’m really curious to see where this all goes now because this is really just introducing the players and putting the plot into play, I want more on the prophecy, more on the enemies, more on who Hayden is meant to be, even more on all her friends . . . I just want more!
PS. It really needs a new cover as the one it has doesn’t really do the book justice, this is definitely a ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ instance.
My Cover Thoughts: This cover is what captured my interest. It is of a tree in full bloom. If you know anything about trees you know that trees have a cycle where they bloom and shed to start all over again. This is what happens in the story Crossover.
My Thoughts/Review: Man oh man I fell in love with the cover of this book and I had to read it. Then I meet Mireille on Facebook and knew I had to read her series. I have met lots of authors on Facebook that have written awesome series and I just knew once I picked up this book I would not be able to put it down. Well I read the series in three days because I could not put it down. I did not cook or clean and my husband had to take care of the house.
With that being said let’s take a journey into the world of Quelondain. Hayden is an ordinary college student studying veterinary medicine. She loves her horse Dodge and she spends all her time riding or showing her horse. That is until she takes a ride through a trail she has a million times and she sees the most handsome guy she have ever seen. She thinks she is dreaming and decides she will come back on the trail the next day to see if she can see the guy again.
She goes to the trail the next day and she sees him there waiting for her. She stops to talk to him and he asks her to follow him over to the blue waters. She is intrigued by this beautiful guy so she agrees and follows him. Once she is there she does not want to leave him because she is having so much fun and he has awakened something in her and she is not sure what it is. She can’t stop thinking about him and how much she wants to touch him and kiss him.
Hayden soon finds out what is calling her to this man and she will have to choose between her regular life or start a new life. She knows Jasper is no regular guy she wants to know what it is that pulls her to him. She will travel into a world few know about and she will learn who she really is. She will have to trust people and she will have to fight hard to be in a world where thinks are not as they seem.
Take a ride on this fantastical roller coaster with Hayden and Jasper and learn what it means to be a supernatural being. She will have to fight evil and shed love on this place. She will see what true love is and sacrifice. The only thing is she will need to stay out of the cross fires that have begun since her entrance into this new world.
Memorable Quotes: “Then there’s no reason why I can’t do this,” I muttered as I stretched up and touched my lips to his. Jasper’s eyes widened in surprise. I laced my fingers behind his head, scared he was going to pull away. I didn’t need to worry. He groaned and pulled me tighter against him, wrapping his arms around me.
The Crossover was a brilliant tale full of magic, mystery and romance! Legends, secrets and fascinating characters abounded a plenty; which kept me turning pages at the speed of light. Well…scrolling technically, but you catch my drift. Mireille Chester has truly created a unique setting filled with characters that you can’t help but be invested in. I have to say at times I felt there was nicety to it that rang untrue. Perhaps I’m a bit blood thirsty, but I wanted to see more of the heroine’s bad side to help balance out the benevolent goddess of forgiveness she often seemed to be.
You come after me, my family or my friends, and I’d rip your head off without a second of remorse. The sex scenes weren’t the hottest. But what they lacked in heat it made up for in intensity and sincerity. It’s always refreshing to be reminded that passion doesn’t always equate no holds bar wording. I recommend this read to anyone whose looking for a little magic in their life.
I wasnt sure if this book would be my cup of tea or not. But it would seem that my cup of tea has been doing a lot of changing just recently.
This is not your average romance, nor is it an ordinary fantasy novel.
The tale that the author has woven is a totally engrossing one. Not only is it filled with an imaginative and colourful world but the characters are unique and intriguing. A lot of effort has been put into the world building and back stories for Crossover. The descriptions are rich, the characters are extremely likeable, and the relationships are believable. The twists and turns are exciting and the sparks that fly in and out of the bedroom between Hayden and Jasper are a refreshingly real take on a relationship (God knows relationships are never perfect!!)
I have thoroughly enjoyed the first book of this series and am looking forward to reading the next installment. An enticing 4 Star read ;]
What great books!!! They have everything you could want romance, magic,action & adventure. I couldn't put it down and I found myself not wanting to go to bed I just wanted to keep reading. Can't wait for book three.
I’d like to thank author Mireille Chester for this wonderful read. I absolutely loved it!! Crossover is book #1 in “The Chosen One Trilogy”,. Book #2 is “Journey,” and book #3 is Destiny. I still need to read books two and three. (mental note, get done) Crossover so far is a great start to what seems to be a amazing trilogy.
Hayden has a love for horses, (I love this part, with me being a horse person all my life) she has chosen to go to veterinary school to learn how to care and heal them. Spending most her time with her own horse Dodge, riding and showing, then with the other horses she loves (or school) she often goes on trails rides. Its during one of these trail rides she enters into another world. One where magic exists, the world of Quelondain…
Hayden thinks she is dreaming when she sees a handsome guy along the trail, deciding to stop and chat with him this time (she had seen him on the previous trail ride) oh and by the way didn’t her Mom ever tell her when she was young to NEVER talk to strangers?
He tells her about the blue waters, and he asks her to go with him to see… Hayden is so curious about him (Jasper) that she decides to go. *no no not a good idea*
There is a connection/pull between Jasper and Hayden, she doesn’t want to leave him or the magic of the blue waters. Jasper is different, what is it that makes him so different? Why is the connection so strong? Hayden has to know.
To what length will Hayden go to find the answers about Jasper? Will she travel completely into a world so unknown to herself?
Pick a comfy spot, put up your tired feet to relax as you take the thrilling jaunt with Jasper and Hayden as they learn what it is like to be gifted… trust will have to be gained as Hayden learns what it takes to be in a place that isn’t what it seems to be.
A magical ride with evil turns, true love will be found along with great sacrifice as Hayden travels her new path.
Take the time to read this awesome book, and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did. Now I’m off to grab book #2 “Journey” in this trilogy so I can continue my own travels along with Hayden and Jasper.
A paranormal romance/mystery/adventure that pulls you in from the beginning. I was struck by the similarity of the fantasy land to the magical world of Harry Potter. And the strange creatures reminded me of the bizarre characters of Star Wars fame. The author does an excellent job in bringing the land and its people into clear focus. While telling a good story, she also weaves affairs of the heart with suspense and excitement. The battle scenes were especially vivid. I am eager to continue the journey with Jasper and Hayden in the next book.
~~~~~~~~~~Doris's ★★★★★ Review~~~~~~~~~~
Hayden is a young women who loves her horse, Duke. She loves anything to do with horses and riding and training. She wants to be a vet and is going to school to accomplish this dream. After her day is done she likes to go for a casual ride on Duke through the trails near her home. One day as she is riding she sees a trail that she has never seen before. At the top of the trail is a hill and on the hill she see a handsome young man with most striking blue eyes. She can't take her eyes off of him. When she looks away and looks back he has disappeared. Thus starts book one of the series, The Chosen One Trilogy. This is a titillating start to a great journey.
This book is well written and entertaining. You are introduced to the characters and they are wonderful and meld well together. They story line is superb and exciting. It is not your usual fantasy story and the new creatures added to the story are spectacular and imaginative. I was given and copy of this book to read and review. I loved it! Your are taken to places beyond the imagination. Ant the description given of the realm is colorful and entertaining. I am giving this first book in the series 5 stars!!!!
When Hayden wonders into a different world, Jasper is sent to bring her to the Queen. Two strong forces are after Hayden and want to use her to defeat the other. But somewhere along the way, the rules get broken and things that have once been set in stone, since the beginning of time, get a bit blurred. Is Hayden the reason for all this change? Can two people from totally different worlds find love among the confusion? Will Hayden be able to return home? Will she want too? So much happens that you will want to stick around and seek out its answers.
I was so happy to read this book and to go back to the wonderful world that Chester created. I was first introduced to some of the characters in Chester's TYLER'S STORY. But CROSSOVER takes place long before that one and it is the start of something awesome.
I love, love, love the romance in this one. It was absolute goodness. From the moment that Hayden meets Jasper she feels something drawing her towards him. And she is having quite the hard time resisting him. Hayden learns that the people in this world are fated to each other through dreams. Jasper has been dreaming of her for a while now but Hayden has never dreamt of him. So what harm could come from a little flirting? You'd actually be surprised.
"More than anything in this world or the one you just came from," he whispered. "That's how much I love you."
I am so looking forward to what is in store for these fabulous characters and the future that is ahead of them. I am sure there is bound to be problems but the romance that Chester dishes out is sure to make up for it. Definitely a great read I recommend to any and all who are a fan of NA paranormal reads.
I normally don’t read fantasy; for some reason they’re difficult for me to read. I definitely took this into account when reading this book and writing this review.
First of all I have to say that I believe the author is a natural romance writer. The love scenes written in this book are extremely well done and I am quite impressed with them.
I do wish there was a bit more character development. One thing that was difficult for me personally is that I know nothing about horses, so I got a little lost when I stumbled onto the horse jargon, but that’s really a minor thing and rather unimportant to the plot. Some of the scenes seemed a bit awkward and contrived to me, but the author more than makes up for it with her excellent love scenes. I wouldn’t change a thing with those love scenes at all.
There were lots of funny and well-written lines that I enjoyed. The author has created a new, intricate, interesting universe that you’ll want to learn about. Kudos to Ms. Chester, and please keep writing romance books.
Crossover is book one in the Chosen One Triology, Hayden is a young girl trying to get herself through veterinary school, but what she really wants to do is spend very waking moment with the horses. One day as she is out trail riding with her own horse Dodge a mysterious trail appears that she has never seen before, and it keeps reappearing and she often sees a man further down on the trail...this is when she meets Jasper. Hayden has no idea that she is crossing over into another world or how her life is suddenly going to change from this. This is the moment when she discovers there truly is so much more in the world then what she knew before.
But with the secret world comes danger and Hayden finds herself having to make some huge chooses!
This is a great fantasy story with a bit of romance that readers of all ages will love! The author has an ability to take you to amazingly created world of magic in an awesome descriptive way!
Before I was half way through the first book of this series I knew that I had to read them all. I quickly purchased the remaining books. The writer has given us a story that for me was refreshing and original. I am an avid reader and have read many stories. The story follows Haydan as she finds herself drawn into another world, one in which she was born into but raised as a human. The three book set shows the path she follows as she finds love, herself, family and many enemies. Thumbs up from me.
This author has one of the best imaginations ever! This is world within our word so far detached it makes your head spin, but makes complete sense. The characters and all the quirks and differences are completely unique, and that's before you start getting on to the animals. The fundamental element is a good old fashioned love story, of star crossed lovers who are just meant to be. This is in a whole different league, and crazy good. fantastic!
Once you get into this book you will understand why I will now be getting rest of series it pulls you into the way of life,plenty of action,conflicts,different people to understand and things going on everywhere. Cliff hangers and plot twists..I def recommend this book as a starter have never read any books by rhis author..I will be reading lots more..5 stars from this huge reader
I really liked the book. I rated it as I did because I had major difficulty following the sentence structure. Article, prepositions, adverbs, etc. are either missing or misplaced.
Crossover is the first book in The Chosen One Trilogy. Before I start talking about the plot I want to reassure the readers that even though it isn’t a standalone it doesn’t have a strong cliffhanger in case you dislike those. Just like the title implies, this movie has a strong paranormal background. Even though this type of books are pretty popular, it isn’t that easy to pull it off because sticking to a legend, creating your own world, inventing creatures and much more is never easy. Some authors tried so hard that they end up forcing taking away the credibility of their story. I do believe that Mireille Chester managed to be one of those authors that pulled it off.
This novel is about a young woman named Hayden. At the beginning of the novel she tells you a little bit about her life. She tells you about how much she love horses and how she started riding since she was a little kid. I kind of liked that she loved animals so much. A lot of characters are so tough these days so it was pretty sweet that she has this kind and tender side of her. Nevertheless, a heroine always has issues, right? Hayden doesn’t see herself as pretty and she isn’t that much social. Actually, is much more attached to her horse than to anyone else. The funny part is that always the ones that think themselves normal and boring are the most special ones. Hayden is no exception. It all started with one of her rides. Everything seemed so normal but on that very same day she met Jasper, a handsome man that would change her life forever. She just didn’t know that back then and who knows what she would have done if she had known. Probably, she wouldn’t have believed it anyway. It didn’t make much sense that she met things gorgeous stranger and followed him. I mean, yeah, he is handsome but he is a stranger nevertheless. I would have had my doubts about his intentions if I were here. Following him cost Hayden her apparently normal life. She was transported to the world of Quelondain where the habitants are divided in canine shifters and feline shifters. It was pretty interesting that she wanted to reunite all this type of shifters in a book and that made a world just for them. To some point it kind of remind me of Narnia but the plot was different. I must say I truly loved the plot. In fact, I fell in love with Jasper. Some of the things he said to Hayden were too sweet and romantic that made me swoon. However, I thought that things were a little too fast between them. I love insta-love but I also believe that it doesn’t apply to all the cases and I am not quite sure it applies here. I also like a little bit of jealousy and trouble in relationships so it can keep things interesting and make the characters realize just how much they love each other. Unfortunately, the book didn’t have that. However, Hayden is presented with a hard choice: explore her new life with Jasper by her side or return to her “normal” life. Not that she is given much of a choice, right? Now, when it comes to the way it is written. Well, I must warn the readers that it is a mixture between first and third person so you have to be a little careful if you don’t want to get confused. Also, there were some grammar mistakes that might make you lose focus on the plot. Nevertheless, once you get over them the story grabs you again.
Reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
I know I'm in the minority here when I say I didn't really like this book. What gets me is that it had SO MUCH POTENTIAL!
Aside from the terrible editing (spelling mistakes, using homophones incorrectly, blah!), the story was a huge let down. So much so that I almost debated not finishing it.
It started off very much like Ilona Andrew's On the Edge series. I love that series. It has the concept of fated mates and shape shifters. SWOON. What potential for me!!
However, I found the pace of the story to be really off. The world wasn't developed enough for me. There was almost a rushed feel to it. If the details had been fleshed out, I would have been enthralled. Also, there wasn't enough tension buildup. We just went from one scene to the next without much to do. The romance also happened at a breakneck speed, which is okay in some circumstances, but it didn't feel as deep to be because of it. I understand the concept of fated mates but this concept is dealt with in a much better fashion in the Immortals After Dark series and the like (thank you Kresley Cole!).
I didn't get why they were on the run the whole book. It seemed pretty illogical and not well discussed. The book spends a good 30 pages talking about clothing and making halter tops but skims over fleshing out major things like what are the queen's motivations and the pros and cons of going to meet with her.
Don't even get me started on switching from first person to third person paragraph to paragraph. Talk about confusing.
Overall, the book felt rambling and the farther into the book I read, the more I disliked it.
It was a good idea in theory, I just wish it was done differently.
I was introduced to the world of Quelondain when I read Eggnog Kisses. While that story was short and lacked what I needed to understand Quelondain and its people better, Crossover more than made up for that.
Amongst the narrative, dialogue and descriptions is the story of a woman who finds her place in a world she didn't know existed with a man she'd forgotten she dreamed about. A prophecy brings Hayden to Jasper. Magic binds them together. Love makes their bond stronger and unbreakable. The adventures they have as they travel through Quelondain to get to the Queen only fortify their trust and love for one another. Even when Jasper was more than able to defend Hayden, he let her be who she was meant to be, who she was born to be. And you know what? She stood tall and fought valiantly, like she should.
While the main characters are Hayden and Jasper, there are a ton of secondary characters that lend their voices to story. They create Hayden's new family, are allies for this couple as they journey. They bring their own personalities and problems to the table without stealing the spotlight from our main characters.
This is a cliffhanger, and the POV changes from first person (Hayden) to third person (Jasper). The changes aren't often, but they are there. To be truthful, the switches helped me get a peek into Jasper's brain at what felt like crucial moments in the story. I hope the other two books are just as intriguing. I'm sure there's more of Quelondain I didn't read about in this story, other places I haven't visited yet. But I hope to by the time I finish this series.
4.5* (Received from Wickedly Innocent Promotions for an honest review)
Mireille Chester is a new author to me and as avid paranormal reader I always look forward to meeting new authors. With this in mind I dived in to Crossover with an open mind. I was really surprised to read that this had originally been released in 2010 and this was an updated version. Where has the author been and why had no one heard of her! Reading the author background I saw that she writes also under a different name, M.G.Chester. I liked Mireille style of writing. I like the characters in the book. They are likeable, okay believing that you live with a tiger shifter could stretch the imagination a tad; but who wouldn't want to live with Jasper! With dark hair, shaggy curls and green eyes. Hayden sees Jasper on a trail she's never ridden or seen before. Her trusty horse, Dodge is adamant that they go that way, Hayden has the sensation that it feels right and follows her instincts. By going on this hidden trail Hayden steps in to a new world. Where dog fights cat and humans don't exist. As her and Jasper spend time together they realise they are meant to be together. Hayden finds that not all is as it seems, her past is the answer to the future. There are lots of twists, action and funny moments. I really enjoyed book one and have already jumped in to book two. I had to find out what happens next. If you like cat shifters, wolf shifters, strong men like me then you will love this book.
Hayden always enjoyed spending time with her horse more than she did other humans...and one day on a ride she notices a trail and an incredibly handsome guy. Before she knows it she is pulled into another world where she is at the center of a prophecy that everyone wants to try and control. She just wants to live a simple life with her mate Jasper but she also needs to constantly hide from those that want to use her.
This actually wasn't too bad. I really liked the idea of the story and though I did enjoy reading it I thought it could be a lot better. One problem was that a lot of things happened but weren't really explained (why couldn't shay live over the border, it is said twins are rare but no one bats an eye at meeting twins). The middle also dragged...a lot...I liked reading about their happy life but I felt there was waaay too much detail and it went on for way to long before it got back to the action. Oh and seriously there was so much freaking blushing!! They say things are normal between fated couples but then everyone turns bright red at the mere mention of it sheesh. But, I enjoyed the story and characters enough to try the next in the series.
What can I say? I loved this book! It is fast-paced and well-written with fantastic characters that jump off the page. Having 'cats' and 'dogs' on either side of the war is a stroke of genius but the general storyline itself is fresh and interesting. I loved how Hayden is not backwards in coming forwards and has no difficulty in showing Jasper that she is interested.
This series has a lot of potential for me as there was so much I thoroughly enjoyed about it. The shifters, the 'bond' between the guards and the Queen, Darian, Brice, Tara, Shay - it's all there. I can't wait to read more and follow this series through.
A romantic fantastical read that was absolutely brilliant to read. Witty, funny, focused, and mysterious are all words I would use to describe it. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books! Jul 10, 2015