What do you think?
Rate this book
Traveller
Former Junior Miss Kentucky Emerson Shaw won pageants using martial arts as her talent and Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” as her guide, but a painful secret leads her to the University of York, and puts her in the path of tattooed and pierced bad boy, Michael Nightingale. Michael is a Traveller, part of an ancient line of mercenary gypsies who protect the world from vicious monsters called the Moktar. When Emerson gets attacked, she has no choice but accept Michael’s offer of protection or face certain death. Traveller society, full of outdated rules and ridiculous superstitions, isn’t a good fit for the headstrong Emerson. Traveller women aren’t allowed to fight. Traveller women aren’t allowed to win. Traveller women aren’t allowed to leave. But Emerson will do what she must, even if it means losing the one person who matters most.
322 pages, Paperback
First published February 26, 2016
15 people are currently reading
626 people want to read
About the author
Abigail Drake
42 books418 followersAbigail Drake is the award-winning author of twenty-one novels, but she didn’t start her career in writing. She majored in Japanese and economics in college, and spent years traveling the world, collecting stories wherever she visited. She collected a husband from Istanbul on her travels, too, and he is her favorite souvenir.
Abigail is a coffee addict, a puppy wrangler, and the mother of three adult sons. She writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and young adult fiction, and has taught workshops for many different writing organizations. In her spare time, she blogs about her dog, Capone, and teaches writing classes for children at her local library.
In 2019, Abigail was awarded an honorable mention for her book "Love, Chocolate, and a Dog Named Al Capone" in the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-book Awards. She is the winner of the 2017 Prism Award for her book "Traveller", the International Digital Award for her young adult novel, "Tiger Lily", and the Stiletto Contest for "Love, Chocolate, and a Dog Named Al Capone." In addition, she was named a finalist in the Golden Pen, the Golden Leaf, the Dante Rossetti Book Award, and the Cygnus Award for Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction.
Abigail is represented by Lauren Bieker of FinePrint Literary Management. For more information, visit her website at www.abigaildrake.net.
Abigail is a coffee addict, a puppy wrangler, and the mother of three adult sons. She writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and young adult fiction, and has taught workshops for many different writing organizations. In her spare time, she blogs about her dog, Capone, and teaches writing classes for children at her local library.
In 2019, Abigail was awarded an honorable mention for her book "Love, Chocolate, and a Dog Named Al Capone" in the Writer's Digest Self-Published E-book Awards. She is the winner of the 2017 Prism Award for her book "Traveller", the International Digital Award for her young adult novel, "Tiger Lily", and the Stiletto Contest for "Love, Chocolate, and a Dog Named Al Capone." In addition, she was named a finalist in the Golden Pen, the Golden Leaf, the Dante Rossetti Book Award, and the Cygnus Award for Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction.
Abigail is represented by Lauren Bieker of FinePrint Literary Management. For more information, visit her website at www.abigaildrake.net.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 20, 2016
I'm sad to say this, but this book just didn't really work for me.
What I did like:
- The cover: come on, it's simply gorgeous.
- The idea: the premise was pretty good, actually. Okay, so the warrior race with superpowers fighting off monsters in order to protect humanity isn't exactly original, but I appreciated that, for a change, it wasn't about demons or vampires. I can't say I'd read any other UF/PNR involving gypsies before, so that's a plus.
- The beginning: this book started out strong and I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a bit of dry humor in it. Emerson's silly obsession with Michael was hysterical and had me laughing out loud several times.
- There wasn't any character I really disliked, except for those I was supposed to dislike, obviously.
What I did not like:
- The humor: while I did appreciate it in the beginning, it got kind of old quickly. Emerson's strange remarks that I think were supposed to be typical Southern slang, her sarcasm and unrealistic reactions to life-threatening incidents, it all felt like the author was trying too hard to make this a humorous read. Sometimes, less really is more.
- Emerson's reactions: as mentioned above, Emerson's reactions to everything she went through felt totally unrealistic to me. Emerson kept her cool as if those were everyday occurrences. Which brings me to the next point...
- Lack of emotions: sadly, I didn't feel anything throughout the book. There were no emotions... no fear, no joy, no love, no nerves, no anger. It was just a constant stream of descriptions without conveying what Emerson was feeling in those situations. I felt detached and indifferent towards the story and the characters.
- Clichés: lots of stereotypical characters, lack of depth and development thereof, cheesy dialogues, unbelievable love story ("I love you" and marriage talk after one week of knowing one another).
I don't know... The reviews so far imply that this book obviously did work for the majority of the readers, but it just wasn't my cuppa.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2016
When I start reading this I have no idea this is a paranormal book. ???
(I didn't read any review and get the copy of book without mention any sort of paranormal in short blurb)
It surprises me when I stable on the monster creature in the middle of thestreet. (book)
I was almost surprised as our girl Emerson.
Let me tell you something about that one.
She is petite blonde, a former Junior Miss Kentucky who know martial arts and reads: „The Art of War“, „On Guerilla Warfare“ and „On War“.
Something else I love about her is that she don't let our boy Michael scare her away. When he give her a speech: „I'm not good for you, you're better withoute me“,
she said: „Don't be such drama queen!“
Or even better, she doesn't let him run away from her either! (one time, she actually chase him).
Well, I would chase him too...
Michael Nightingale...
He is a Traveller (Gypsy, Roma),…tall, muscular, pierced, tattooed, shaved head, leather jacket…(yummy, right?)…
HE is a warrior, he is protective, he tray to be all “You do all I say!!! “ but he is also nice, almost shy and very likable.
Emerson Jane Shaw…
She is a Dweller( someone who isn’t Traveller) or is she???
Nice but stubborn, smart, strong and did I mention virgin!?…
But don’t worry. That change and then we have…
some hot first-time sex,
morning sex,
angry sex,
make-up sex,
and some goodbye sex...
I don’t mind that at all because…
….you do read the description of Michael, right???
Anyway, we have some cultural difference, old law, tradition,…and that all stand in their way, along with some monster who want to kill them and eat they brains, and maybe first rape her...(and breed her)
But you get the picture, they have a *SMALL OBSTACLE* in they love pat…
They get upset and angry at each other, they make mistakes, but they don’t stay mad. They resolve they issues right away and I love that.
It's a good book, not mind blowing but pretty nice.
I enjoy reading it and probably will reading some other book from this author in the future.
***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for honest review***
It's not 4 it's more 3.75 stars
(I didn't read any review and get the copy of book without mention any sort of paranormal in short blurb)
It surprises me when I stable on the monster creature in the middle of the
I was almost surprised as our girl Emerson.
Let me tell you something about that one.
She is petite blonde, a former Junior Miss Kentucky who know martial arts and reads: „The Art of War“, „On Guerilla Warfare“ and „On War“.
Something else I love about her is that she don't let our boy Michael scare her away. When he give her a speech: „I'm not good for you, you're better withoute me“,
she said: „Don't be such drama queen!“
Or even better, she doesn't let him run away from her either! (one time, she actually chase him).
Well, I would chase him too...
Michael Nightingale...
He is a Traveller (Gypsy, Roma),…tall, muscular, pierced, tattooed, shaved head, leather jacket…(yummy, right?)…
HE is a warrior, he is protective, he tray to be all “You do all I say!!! “ but he is also nice, almost shy and very likable.
Emerson Jane Shaw…
She is a Dweller( someone who isn’t Traveller) or is she???
Nice but stubborn, smart, strong and did I mention virgin!?…
But don’t worry. That change and then we have…
some hot first-time sex,
morning sex,
angry sex,
make-up sex,
and some goodbye sex...
I don’t mind that at all because…
….you do read the description of Michael, right???
Anyway, we have some cultural difference, old law, tradition,…and that all stand in their way, along with some monster who want to kill them and eat they brains, and maybe first rape her...(and breed her)
But you get the picture, they have a *SMALL OBSTACLE* in they love pat…
They get upset and angry at each other, they make mistakes, but they don’t stay mad. They resolve they issues right away and I love that.
It's a good book, not mind blowing but pretty nice.
I enjoy reading it and probably will reading some other book from this author in the future.
***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for honest review***
It's not 4 it's more 3.75 stars
March 25, 2016
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Traveller is a new adult paranormal romance by Abigail Drake. (It is marked on goodreads as adult, but the main character is college aged, and the overall story had a new adult vibe, in my opinion.) Traveler has everything a good paranormal romance should have in my book. Interesting creatures/powers, a secret society is always a plus, a mysterious adventure, and great characters. I really enjoyed this one.
Emerson and Michael are the main characters. I liked both of them a lot. Emerson has a dry sense of humor that had me snickering throughout the whole story, and Michael is pretty swoon worthy. There are some weird quirks throughout that left me a bit puzzled, like the whole part of the society where women were not allowed to leave. I still don't get that one.
As much as I loved Emerson's sense of humor, her reactions to some of the situations she found herself in seemed underwhelming to me. I liked that she took things as they came at her and didn't loose her cool, but some of the things warranted a little ruffling of the feathers in my book. And she was still just cool as a cucumber. On one hand, I admired her ability to remain calm throughout almost anything (since that is a skill I certainly do not possess.) but on the other hand it made her seem a bit robotic at times. However, that was the only disconnect I felt with Emerson. She is a kick ass lady and I really want her to be on my side. She keeps up with the action in Traveller so well, and she can handle anything that is thrown at her.
Traveller is a really fun ride of a read. I wanted the ending to stretch out a little more, but there was so much going on and the pace was only getting faster and faster towards the end, it was all I could do to keep up. There will even be some unexpected twists, for even the best of the twist guessers out there!
Bottom line: Traveller is a solid paranormal romance read with a good chunk of action and adventure in the mix.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Traveller is a new adult paranormal romance by Abigail Drake. (It is marked on goodreads as adult, but the main character is college aged, and the overall story had a new adult vibe, in my opinion.) Traveler has everything a good paranormal romance should have in my book. Interesting creatures/powers, a secret society is always a plus, a mysterious adventure, and great characters. I really enjoyed this one.
Emerson and Michael are the main characters. I liked both of them a lot. Emerson has a dry sense of humor that had me snickering throughout the whole story, and Michael is pretty swoon worthy. There are some weird quirks throughout that left me a bit puzzled, like the whole part of the society where women were not allowed to leave. I still don't get that one.
As much as I loved Emerson's sense of humor, her reactions to some of the situations she found herself in seemed underwhelming to me. I liked that she took things as they came at her and didn't loose her cool, but some of the things warranted a little ruffling of the feathers in my book. And she was still just cool as a cucumber. On one hand, I admired her ability to remain calm throughout almost anything (since that is a skill I certainly do not possess.) but on the other hand it made her seem a bit robotic at times. However, that was the only disconnect I felt with Emerson. She is a kick ass lady and I really want her to be on my side. She keeps up with the action in Traveller so well, and she can handle anything that is thrown at her.
Traveller is a really fun ride of a read. I wanted the ending to stretch out a little more, but there was so much going on and the pace was only getting faster and faster towards the end, it was all I could do to keep up. There will even be some unexpected twists, for even the best of the twist guessers out there!
Bottom line: Traveller is a solid paranormal romance read with a good chunk of action and adventure in the mix.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
March 8, 2016
Title: Traveller
Author: Abigail Drake
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Ebook
Pages: 250
Rating: 5
Setting: York, England
Main Characters: Emerson, Michael
Supporting Characters: Lucinda, Poppy
Summary: Emerson is using her opportunity to study at the University of York to search for information about her mother where she meets Michael. Learning about Michael pulls her into the Traveller society, where the women aren’t allowed to leave. Not content with being a prisoner, Emerson throws everything for a loop.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. Emerson is kick ass, and Michael is very hot! I do hope there are more stories about the Travellers, the concept was interesting and I’m very curious as to what might happen next. The writing was fresh and easy to get lost in for hours.
I received a free copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
Author: Abigail Drake
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Ebook
Pages: 250
Rating: 5
Setting: York, England
Main Characters: Emerson, Michael
Supporting Characters: Lucinda, Poppy
Summary: Emerson is using her opportunity to study at the University of York to search for information about her mother where she meets Michael. Learning about Michael pulls her into the Traveller society, where the women aren’t allowed to leave. Not content with being a prisoner, Emerson throws everything for a loop.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. Emerson is kick ass, and Michael is very hot! I do hope there are more stories about the Travellers, the concept was interesting and I’m very curious as to what might happen next. The writing was fresh and easy to get lost in for hours.
I received a free copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
February 9, 2016
Fans of classic M-F paranormal romance will love this tale. I devoured it in the same manner that I consume chocolate flourless cake: quickly and with gusto.
April 30, 2018
This book was so amazing!!! I did not want it to end EVER. I could not get enough of Emerson and her friends Poppy and Lucinda. Those girls were a hoot. I found myself cracking up everytime they were together. Then the author added Michael, a smoking hot, tattooed and mysterious bad boy. OMG I was done for. I greedily read through this book and became more obsessed with each page, so reading it once was not enough. I had to read it a second time.
I enjoyed so much about this book. It was intriguing to learn about the Traveller's society and all the crazy rules that especially the women were expected to follow. But my favorite part was watching Emerson become the kick ass woman that I hoped she would become. She wholeheartedly is the epitome of a strong, sensitive and witty leading female character. Yay!
Traveller is another 5 star book by author Abigail Drake. I'm ready for more!
I enjoyed so much about this book. It was intriguing to learn about the Traveller's society and all the crazy rules that especially the women were expected to follow. But my favorite part was watching Emerson become the kick ass woman that I hoped she would become. She wholeheartedly is the epitome of a strong, sensitive and witty leading female character. Yay!
Traveller is another 5 star book by author Abigail Drake. I'm ready for more!
September 29, 2017
Abigail Drake has the great ability to pull you into her stories and make you feel apart of the story, like a fly on the wall. Every second I could spare, I was reading this book and couldn't wait to keep/finish reading, when I had to put it down. This is a great read, just like all of her other books!!
February 9, 2017
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Emerson is a former Beauty Pageant Queen from Kentucky with a penchant for martial arts, in fact it was her 'talent' when she was competing. She is studying in England and catches the eye of a tattooed traveller (a type of gypsy) called Michael Nightingale. After making a connection Michael gives her the cold-shoulder until one night she follows him and sees him and a group of friends fight and kill a monster.
It turns out that the Travellers are actually a group of gifted warriors who were once entrusted by the gods to help protect the dwellers (the rest of us) against the evil Moktar who reproduce by raping Traveller women. Once the women have had children or are of no use the Moktar eat their brains.
This had a slight vibe of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Emerson is full of aw-shucks similes and she quotes Sun Tzu's Art of War at any occasion, each chapter is preceded by one of Grandma Sugar's aphorisms. Whilst I found it mildly annoying I could see that Emerson was going for that Steel Magnolia southern belle and it kind of worked. I could also visualise the strict rules and misogynistic Traveller society as being a hangover from an ancient warrior sect - as if a band of Vikings had been transported in time to the present day. And for a while the originality of the premise kept me going but it all fell over for me in the second half of the book.
What went wrong? I felt as though the entirety of the second half of the book. First Emerson is not welcome in the Traveller settlement. Then she is. Then she does something wrong and they want her to leave. Then something else happens and they want her to stay. Then they take her passport away without her knowledge and talk about forcibly keeping her in the settlement. Then they talk about exiling her. There's a British children's TV comedy duo called the Chuckle Brothers who developed an entire act around a push-me pull-me joke where they shout "to me", "to you" again and again and this felt very much like that.
Oh, as I said, Emerson is good at martial arts. Apparently she's like Buffy and Kate Daniels and Xena rolled into one Southern belle, yet every so often she is too delicate for words and must be protected for her own good. Both Michael and the enigmatic Leo frequently admonish her for making stupid decisions - I could clearly hear the "you are only a stupid girl after all" subtext every time. Don't even get me started on the actions of Emerson's so-called 'friends' within the settlement when the decision is taken to exile her.
Overall I found the initial premise intriguing but the execution simply infuriated me. Abigail Drake didn't seem to be able to make her mind up whether Emerson was TSTL:
I slept with Michael’s ring on my finger and the book he’d given me next to my pillow. It didn’t matter that Leo had tried to strangle me or a Moktar wanted to kidnap me. I was miles away from my family, I’d lost my journal, and had to write a paper for my Shakespeare class, but I didn’t care about any of it, because Michael loved me.
Or the aforementioned love-child of Buffy, Xena and Kate Daniels (although none of them ever uttered such ridiculous nonsense):
Due to the narrowness of the hallway, they could only attack a few at a time. It really wasn’t even a very fair fight. I slashed and lunged and killed them without much effort at all. I found it almost boring.
I had just killed a legion of Moktar, but I still wanted more. I wanted vengeance. I wanted to keep fighting.
The next minute she's a damsel in distress watching Her Man fight for her.
I couldn’t get to her. I couldn’t get to Michael either. All I could do was watch, wait, and pray.
I highlighted so many passages towards the end of the book which were either eye-rolling, annoying, clichéd or infuriating that I can't quote them all, but I end with this, I leave it to your imagination to guess what the subject is:
“It feels like velvet.” I smiled at him in wonder. “Velvet with steel inside.”
WTF? It really doesn't unless its covered in a pelt of thick fuzz!
So, someone once told me that if a book or its characters get you riled up its done its job, its made you think and feel. I kind of agree, after all isn't a meh book even worse? Well this book certainly got me riled up. Even the ending wound me up, the simple Deus Ex Machina 'Ta Da' finale doesn't win any awards from me.
I think this book would have benefited from some deconstruction and thought about Emerson's character and the Travellers' laws because they were all over the place.
Emerson is a former Beauty Pageant Queen from Kentucky with a penchant for martial arts, in fact it was her 'talent' when she was competing. She is studying in England and catches the eye of a tattooed traveller (a type of gypsy) called Michael Nightingale. After making a connection Michael gives her the cold-shoulder until one night she follows him and sees him and a group of friends fight and kill a monster.
It turns out that the Travellers are actually a group of gifted warriors who were once entrusted by the gods to help protect the dwellers (the rest of us) against the evil Moktar who reproduce by raping Traveller women. Once the women have had children or are of no use the Moktar eat their brains.
This had a slight vibe of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Emerson is full of aw-shucks similes and she quotes Sun Tzu's Art of War at any occasion, each chapter is preceded by one of Grandma Sugar's aphorisms. Whilst I found it mildly annoying I could see that Emerson was going for that Steel Magnolia southern belle and it kind of worked. I could also visualise the strict rules and misogynistic Traveller society as being a hangover from an ancient warrior sect - as if a band of Vikings had been transported in time to the present day. And for a while the originality of the premise kept me going but it all fell over for me in the second half of the book.
What went wrong? I felt as though the entirety of the second half of the book. First Emerson is not welcome in the Traveller settlement. Then she is. Then she does something wrong and they want her to leave. Then something else happens and they want her to stay. Then they take her passport away without her knowledge and talk about forcibly keeping her in the settlement. Then they talk about exiling her. There's a British children's TV comedy duo called the Chuckle Brothers who developed an entire act around a push-me pull-me joke where they shout "to me", "to you" again and again and this felt very much like that.
Oh, as I said, Emerson is good at martial arts. Apparently she's like Buffy and Kate Daniels and Xena rolled into one Southern belle, yet every so often she is too delicate for words and must be protected for her own good. Both Michael and the enigmatic Leo frequently admonish her for making stupid decisions - I could clearly hear the "you are only a stupid girl after all" subtext every time. Don't even get me started on the actions of Emerson's so-called 'friends' within the settlement when the decision is taken to exile her.
Overall I found the initial premise intriguing but the execution simply infuriated me. Abigail Drake didn't seem to be able to make her mind up whether Emerson was TSTL:
I slept with Michael’s ring on my finger and the book he’d given me next to my pillow. It didn’t matter that Leo had tried to strangle me or a Moktar wanted to kidnap me. I was miles away from my family, I’d lost my journal, and had to write a paper for my Shakespeare class, but I didn’t care about any of it, because Michael loved me.
Or the aforementioned love-child of Buffy, Xena and Kate Daniels (although none of them ever uttered such ridiculous nonsense):
Due to the narrowness of the hallway, they could only attack a few at a time. It really wasn’t even a very fair fight. I slashed and lunged and killed them without much effort at all. I found it almost boring.
I had just killed a legion of Moktar, but I still wanted more. I wanted vengeance. I wanted to keep fighting.
The next minute she's a damsel in distress watching Her Man fight for her.
I couldn’t get to her. I couldn’t get to Michael either. All I could do was watch, wait, and pray.
I highlighted so many passages towards the end of the book which were either eye-rolling, annoying, clichéd or infuriating that I can't quote them all, but I end with this, I leave it to your imagination to guess what the subject is:
“It feels like velvet.” I smiled at him in wonder. “Velvet with steel inside.”
WTF? It really doesn't unless its covered in a pelt of thick fuzz!
So, someone once told me that if a book or its characters get you riled up its done its job, its made you think and feel. I kind of agree, after all isn't a meh book even worse? Well this book certainly got me riled up. Even the ending wound me up, the simple Deus Ex Machina 'Ta Da' finale doesn't win any awards from me.
I think this book would have benefited from some deconstruction and thought about Emerson's character and the Travellers' laws because they were all over the place.
March 27, 2016
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
Yes, yes.... I read the description of this book before I read it. But I still feel like I wasn't really sure what I was going to be reading. I thought the writing was very good but this story isn't really my thing. Still, I'd probably recommend this book to the right reader...
I liked Emerson. It was fun to see a normal, average American girl, going to school in England. In many books, the American character is sort of worldly and sophisticated - at least a little - so it was totally fun to see a former Junior Miss Kentucky taking on the Brits! I loved how she used her experiences in the pageant world to navigate something so different than home. But it's not a fish out of water story. Emerson has been in England for a while and she's got a routine down.
Michael was okay. He was a bit of a strong, silent type and that got old, really fast for me. Michael had a lot of responsibilities resting on his shoulders. So I understood why he wasn't gregarious and outgoing. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I also couldn't get a great idea of what Michael looked like. I ended up feeling like he was tall and skinny with a bit of muscle tone. But he fights these giant beasts and he comes out the winner so he can't be all THAT skinny, right?
I felt like the relationship between Emerson and Michael was pretty typical for a new adult romance. More than a little miscommunication and a bit of back and forth with fighting for the fledgling relationship or cutting ties and moving on. I definitely liked that Emerson stood her ground with Michael when he wanted her to stay in their compound and not leave. I definitely respected her a lot more after that.
I didn't particularly love this book but I don't love new adult romance a lot. But I think readers who are fans of new adult romance with some fantasy and paranormal aspects thrown in may really dig this book. I enjoyed the writing and I think this author is going to be very popular!
Yes, yes.... I read the description of this book before I read it. But I still feel like I wasn't really sure what I was going to be reading. I thought the writing was very good but this story isn't really my thing. Still, I'd probably recommend this book to the right reader...
I liked Emerson. It was fun to see a normal, average American girl, going to school in England. In many books, the American character is sort of worldly and sophisticated - at least a little - so it was totally fun to see a former Junior Miss Kentucky taking on the Brits! I loved how she used her experiences in the pageant world to navigate something so different than home. But it's not a fish out of water story. Emerson has been in England for a while and she's got a routine down.
Michael was okay. He was a bit of a strong, silent type and that got old, really fast for me. Michael had a lot of responsibilities resting on his shoulders. So I understood why he wasn't gregarious and outgoing. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I also couldn't get a great idea of what Michael looked like. I ended up feeling like he was tall and skinny with a bit of muscle tone. But he fights these giant beasts and he comes out the winner so he can't be all THAT skinny, right?
I felt like the relationship between Emerson and Michael was pretty typical for a new adult romance. More than a little miscommunication and a bit of back and forth with fighting for the fledgling relationship or cutting ties and moving on. I definitely liked that Emerson stood her ground with Michael when he wanted her to stay in their compound and not leave. I definitely respected her a lot more after that.
I didn't particularly love this book but I don't love new adult romance a lot. But I think readers who are fans of new adult romance with some fantasy and paranormal aspects thrown in may really dig this book. I enjoyed the writing and I think this author is going to be very popular!
March 2, 2016
I give this book 5 hearts
What a great book I loved the concept and story line.
Emerson is a former beauty queen from Kentucky taking a semester abroad at the university of York in England. Every morning she watches the sexy bad boy who's covered In tattoos, piercings and makes her heart race from across the tea shop...his name is Michael Nightingale. Watching is safe but one day everything changes when she decides to follow him.
She stumbles upon a hidden world, a society of people that track and kill the monsters that most don't even know exist. When her life is put in danger and only Michael can keep her safe Emerson will learn what it is to fight for the one you love. Secrets surface and she will break all the rules or die trying.
The chemistry between Emerson and Michael is dangerous, sexy and fun. With twists and turns, ass kicking, women being empowered, revenge, murder, jealousy and love all the ingredients are there for a page turner that I couldn't put down.
Yes I had some issues with the book but they were small and didn't take away from my enjoyment.
I felt the ending was slightly rushed it wasn't bad just I would have appreciated more about what happened at the council meeting and with all the people she came to know.
Also as much as I loved the sexy romance between Michael and Emerson the sexual peak came on rather quickly. Hard to explain without saying to much and giving spoilers. Other than those I hope to see more about Emerson and Michael love them both as well as all the secondary characters that I came to want to know about just as much as the main pair.
*** reviewer for romance authors that rock
What a great book I loved the concept and story line.
Emerson is a former beauty queen from Kentucky taking a semester abroad at the university of York in England. Every morning she watches the sexy bad boy who's covered In tattoos, piercings and makes her heart race from across the tea shop...his name is Michael Nightingale. Watching is safe but one day everything changes when she decides to follow him.
She stumbles upon a hidden world, a society of people that track and kill the monsters that most don't even know exist. When her life is put in danger and only Michael can keep her safe Emerson will learn what it is to fight for the one you love. Secrets surface and she will break all the rules or die trying.
The chemistry between Emerson and Michael is dangerous, sexy and fun. With twists and turns, ass kicking, women being empowered, revenge, murder, jealousy and love all the ingredients are there for a page turner that I couldn't put down.
Yes I had some issues with the book but they were small and didn't take away from my enjoyment.
I felt the ending was slightly rushed it wasn't bad just I would have appreciated more about what happened at the council meeting and with all the people she came to know.
Also as much as I loved the sexy romance between Michael and Emerson the sexual peak came on rather quickly. Hard to explain without saying to much and giving spoilers. Other than those I hope to see more about Emerson and Michael love them both as well as all the secondary characters that I came to want to know about just as much as the main pair.
*** reviewer for romance authors that rock
March 22, 2016
This book sucked me in from the very start and I devoured it.
Emerson Shaw is a college student and decides to study overseas in an effort to find out more about her mother. She's only there for a short period of time and never expects to find someone as handsome as Michael Nightingale. She's been watching him from afar and never had the guts to approach him until one day.
Micheal is tall, tattooed, and people move out of his way when he's near. He's a traveller and dangerous, but that's not all. He's a warrior. At night the moktars come out. He and the other men have to protect the world from the evil beasts, especially the women. One has set their sights on Emerson and Micheal has vowed to protect her. There is also the feelings Emerson and Micheal have toward one another. Emerson isn't welcome among the gypsies. Can Micheal keep her safe? What will happen between them?
I LOVED this book. Lust, suspense, romance, mystery, it was so good. Emerson was easy to connect to and Micheal left me swooning constantly. Both characters were well developed and so were the supporting ones. I felt a connection with Emerson's best friends and their families. Great read!
Book received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha.
Emerson Shaw is a college student and decides to study overseas in an effort to find out more about her mother. She's only there for a short period of time and never expects to find someone as handsome as Michael Nightingale. She's been watching him from afar and never had the guts to approach him until one day.
Micheal is tall, tattooed, and people move out of his way when he's near. He's a traveller and dangerous, but that's not all. He's a warrior. At night the moktars come out. He and the other men have to protect the world from the evil beasts, especially the women. One has set their sights on Emerson and Micheal has vowed to protect her. There is also the feelings Emerson and Micheal have toward one another. Emerson isn't welcome among the gypsies. Can Micheal keep her safe? What will happen between them?
I LOVED this book. Lust, suspense, romance, mystery, it was so good. Emerson was easy to connect to and Micheal left me swooning constantly. Both characters were well developed and so were the supporting ones. I felt a connection with Emerson's best friends and their families. Great read!
Book received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha.
March 2, 2016
This book was a delightful surprise. The whole concept of Travellers and their mission on this planet was fresh and exciting and the story was quick to unfold in a way that kept me actively flipping pages to see what would happen next for Emerson and Michael. I loved Emerson's character, getting a strong humorous female lead was a welcome change from some books. She could hold her own and while she was completely out of her element when she fell down the rabbit hole that was the traveller way of life. Michael for an alpha male was sweet on Emerson and even though you could tell he struggled with Em being different than the women he's used to. This story was full of action and some twists I didn't see coming and I would love to see more of Emerson, Michael and the other Travellers.
This was a complimentary e-copy provided by the author and publisher in exchange for a honest review via Netgalley.
This was a complimentary e-copy provided by the author and publisher in exchange for a honest review via Netgalley.
March 8, 2016
Traveller is deep into the dark side of paranormal. I found myself during most of the story feeling frustrated and sad. Not necessarily in a bad way through. Our main characters Emerson and Michael are young with a strong sense of duty. I had to wonder a few times how Emerson could keep going when Michael's world was so set in their ways. Ways that she would never accept being a part of. The background, as it comes out, is slightly predictable while still being entertaining. There are a few sex scenes that lean towards the young innocent side of things. Without the sex scenes and the evil they fight, I was getting the young reader feel. It was just a bit too dark and mature to fall into that category when all said and done. I was given this story for an honest review and this is mine.
February 26, 2016
Romance, a strong female lead, real world fantasy, and a hot tattooed gypsy warrior, ohhhh myyyyy!
Emerson is the type of heroine more books need. She's strong, independent, and determined even after she connects with the man of her dreams, her soulmate.
Michael's a protector, the alpha male, but without any abusive undertones all too prevalent in such characters. I couldn't help but add him to my (far too long) list of fictional boyfriends.
Emerson is the type of heroine more books need. She's strong, independent, and determined even after she connects with the man of her dreams, her soulmate.
Michael's a protector, the alpha male, but without any abusive undertones all too prevalent in such characters. I couldn't help but add him to my (far too long) list of fictional boyfriends.
February 29, 2016
This had an intriguing story that kept me captivated from the start.
Loved the main heroine as she was tough and funny at the same time.
Look forward to reading more from this author.
Loved the main heroine as she was tough and funny at the same time.
Look forward to reading more from this author.
May 13, 2017
A unique and well written story. Highly recommend!
November 19, 2022
This book wasn't as funny as the other books I've read by Drake, but given the subject, that's both expected and appropriate. Nonetheless, I found myself engaged in the story very quickly and found it hard to put down. I loved the characters, particularly Emerson and Michael (of course!), but the supporting characters as well. And I especially loved Emerson's care for those characters throughout the book. I was particularly tickled with Emerson the pageant princess, whose talent was martial arts and who's inspiration was Sun Tzu--it just made her so different from what was expected. I'm only sorry that this seems to be a stand-alone because I would love to read more about her and Michael, as well as the other Travellers and Dwellers in the book.
September 27, 2017
This book had it all, funny smart main character with a sexy mysterious monster hunter love interest. What more are you looking for in a book? I'm not a writer, but a lover of books and I don't normally write reviews. Having said that I wanted to write a quick review because I really had fun reading this book. I really steer away from reviews that give a summery of a book, that's what the back of the book is for, I look for recommendations- the bottom line is would you recommend this book to me to read?The answer for this one is a yes, if you enjoy paranormal romance ( or romance for that matter) you will enjoy this one for sure. Have fun reading then share your own thoughts.
March 26, 2021
Loved this
The title is deceiving. If you think this is about time travel you are greatly mistaken. It's about monsters and love and life and death. It's about survival and finding family. Abigail nailed it with this one. If you like a plot that takes left turns when you least expect it, then this book is for you. Enjoy it! I did!!
The title is deceiving. If you think this is about time travel you are greatly mistaken. It's about monsters and love and life and death. It's about survival and finding family. Abigail nailed it with this one. If you like a plot that takes left turns when you least expect it, then this book is for you. Enjoy it! I did!!
December 7, 2021
This was an amazing book. It was a little weird at the beginning but as the book went on it made total sense. From about half way through the book it had me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want to put it down. Definitely a great read and a great ending.
August 4, 2016
The story idea of having the Travellers being the heroes hunting the Moktar was interesting. The Travellers are misunderstood and mysterious so having them being the heroes and learning more about them was kind of cool. I do think we need to learn more about them as a group and the Moktar’s as well. We received the bare minimum information on the Moktar’s during the story and I am sure there is more to them and I would like to know more about them.
I am not really a fan of stories that are first person point of views. I don’t need to know the characters every thought and feeling. It actually gets a little annoying and makes me not like the character, which was the case with Emerson in the “Traveller.” The story is told from her point of view the entire time. While I like butt kicking heroines hearing their every thought and knowing their every feeling turns them into a whiny, wishy-washy brat at least in my opinion. The other reason I don’t like first person point of views is the story always seems well… one dimensional. It lacks the views, thoughts and details from another person to add more depth to the story. While this story was told through Emerson’s eyes Drake did a great job bring the Traveller’s and Moktar’s world to life but I still felt it was lacking something. I would have liked to have gotten Michael’s point of view during the story or maybe even a Moktar’s. I think it would have brought more to the story and made it more interesting. Here we have the Traveller’s Ceannfort their best fighter and he was never heard. I think he could have taken the story to another level and maybe balance out Emerson’s point of view.
I am all for a strong butt kicking heroine in a story and Emerson was a butt kicking heroine for the most part but there were things about her the bugged the crap out of me during the entire story. Her kicking butt, all around “awesomeness”, being good at everything and her tendency to be a Mary Sue was annoying. Literally the only thing she didn’t excel at was cooking and sowing stitches other than that she was a master of all things. Her impulsive behavior also got annoying fast. As did her stubbornness to carry the burden of others and do the rescuing herself. I was borderline not liking her most of the story. Emerson has one foot in the encampment of butt kicking heroines and one foot in the encampment of Mary Sue and I am still unclear on which one to fully place her in. The only thing saving her for me was that she called herself out on doing the stuff that annoyed me, which was a change of pace for once in a story. Most stories the characters don’t even notice and keep going not acknowledge it but Emerson did. Actually in a weird way it smoothed over my annoyance with her and made me slightly more inclined to like her as a character. I don’t think she could help herself. Well played Abigail Drake.
What can I really say about Michael? He is a butt kicking fighter, sexy, handsome, smart and a little arrogant like most heroes. But I liked him. He was a strong character and a likable one to. He will be a great leader someday actually…he is a pretty good leader now. I look forward to seeing more of him in action in the future.
Despite the things that I didn’t like about this story I do think it will be a good series. It’s off to a pretty good start it just needs to lose being in only Emerson’s point of view. I just might buy the second book to see what happens with Emerson later and find out which encampment I finally put her in.
I am not really a fan of stories that are first person point of views. I don’t need to know the characters every thought and feeling. It actually gets a little annoying and makes me not like the character, which was the case with Emerson in the “Traveller.” The story is told from her point of view the entire time. While I like butt kicking heroines hearing their every thought and knowing their every feeling turns them into a whiny, wishy-washy brat at least in my opinion. The other reason I don’t like first person point of views is the story always seems well… one dimensional. It lacks the views, thoughts and details from another person to add more depth to the story. While this story was told through Emerson’s eyes Drake did a great job bring the Traveller’s and Moktar’s world to life but I still felt it was lacking something. I would have liked to have gotten Michael’s point of view during the story or maybe even a Moktar’s. I think it would have brought more to the story and made it more interesting. Here we have the Traveller’s Ceannfort their best fighter and he was never heard. I think he could have taken the story to another level and maybe balance out Emerson’s point of view.
I am all for a strong butt kicking heroine in a story and Emerson was a butt kicking heroine for the most part but there were things about her the bugged the crap out of me during the entire story. Her kicking butt, all around “awesomeness”, being good at everything and her tendency to be a Mary Sue was annoying. Literally the only thing she didn’t excel at was cooking and sowing stitches other than that she was a master of all things. Her impulsive behavior also got annoying fast. As did her stubbornness to carry the burden of others and do the rescuing herself. I was borderline not liking her most of the story. Emerson has one foot in the encampment of butt kicking heroines and one foot in the encampment of Mary Sue and I am still unclear on which one to fully place her in. The only thing saving her for me was that she called herself out on doing the stuff that annoyed me, which was a change of pace for once in a story. Most stories the characters don’t even notice and keep going not acknowledge it but Emerson did. Actually in a weird way it smoothed over my annoyance with her and made me slightly more inclined to like her as a character. I don’t think she could help herself. Well played Abigail Drake.
What can I really say about Michael? He is a butt kicking fighter, sexy, handsome, smart and a little arrogant like most heroes. But I liked him. He was a strong character and a likable one to. He will be a great leader someday actually…he is a pretty good leader now. I look forward to seeing more of him in action in the future.
Despite the things that I didn’t like about this story I do think it will be a good series. It’s off to a pretty good start it just needs to lose being in only Emerson’s point of view. I just might buy the second book to see what happens with Emerson later and find out which encampment I finally put her in.
March 2, 2017
I wanted to try out this NA paranormal novel as I felt that the blurb was very intriguing and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and felt that Emerson and Michael were really great together. Furthermore, I felt that the story was engaging but I did not get lost in the paranormal elements. I loved their chemistry and look forward to more books from this author. 4 Stars - Ratula
I would like to thank NetGalley and Backlit PR for a copy of this ebook..
I would like to thank NetGalley and Backlit PR for a copy of this ebook..
April 18, 2016
Sometimes 'a change is as good as a rest', or so the saying goes, and, having read a lot of fairly heavy books recently I definitely needed something a little different. 'Traveller' by Abigail Drake suited this purpose nicely with its quirky heroine, bad boy love interest and monsters roaming the night.
Emerson Shaw is a former Kentucky beauty queen studying in York, England, where she becomes infatuated with a certain Michael Nightingale. After following him one night, Emerson finds herself involved in much more than she bargained for - a battle that has been raging for centuries against creatures known as Moktar.
Virtually imprisoned in the Traveller compound (for her own safety, naturally!) by Michael, she struggles with the chauvinistic attitudes and restrictive rules that keep the women 'safe'. Despite discovering that she is being tracked by the creatures she still attends classes and insists on being out in the world, something that does not go down too well, despite the fact she has already successfully defeated a Moktar. Predictably things build up to a large battle.
There are a couple of good sub-plots, with Emerson searching for the family of her English mother, the mysterious Leo character and the plans of the Moktar. Emerson is a strange mix of southern beauty queen and martial arts practitioner, while studying Shakespeare and the Art of War (Sun Tzu's study of military tactics being one of her most prized possessions). Michael is a bit too stereotypical and, unfortunately, one dimensional. The few friends involved in the plot do not progress past the point of a shoulder to cry on.
'Traveller' is well written with good pace and a natural flow to the story. It is an eclectic mix of the American south and a 'cup of tea will cure everything' view of England. Overall it has the feel of a young adult fantasy with a romance thrown in, though this does quite steamy so probably not for the Twilight crowd but closer to a toned down version of J. R. Ward.
Though this does suffer slightly from a few too many cliches it is still good fun and easy to read. I would recommend it to anyone feeling the need for a bout of old-fashioned escapism or fans of a good, romantic, urban fantasy.
With thanks to Netgalley and Wild Rose Press for the review copy.
Emerson Shaw is a former Kentucky beauty queen studying in York, England, where she becomes infatuated with a certain Michael Nightingale. After following him one night, Emerson finds herself involved in much more than she bargained for - a battle that has been raging for centuries against creatures known as Moktar.
Virtually imprisoned in the Traveller compound (for her own safety, naturally!) by Michael, she struggles with the chauvinistic attitudes and restrictive rules that keep the women 'safe'. Despite discovering that she is being tracked by the creatures she still attends classes and insists on being out in the world, something that does not go down too well, despite the fact she has already successfully defeated a Moktar. Predictably things build up to a large battle.
There are a couple of good sub-plots, with Emerson searching for the family of her English mother, the mysterious Leo character and the plans of the Moktar. Emerson is a strange mix of southern beauty queen and martial arts practitioner, while studying Shakespeare and the Art of War (Sun Tzu's study of military tactics being one of her most prized possessions). Michael is a bit too stereotypical and, unfortunately, one dimensional. The few friends involved in the plot do not progress past the point of a shoulder to cry on.
'Traveller' is well written with good pace and a natural flow to the story. It is an eclectic mix of the American south and a 'cup of tea will cure everything' view of England. Overall it has the feel of a young adult fantasy with a romance thrown in, though this does quite steamy so probably not for the Twilight crowd but closer to a toned down version of J. R. Ward.
Though this does suffer slightly from a few too many cliches it is still good fun and easy to read. I would recommend it to anyone feeling the need for a bout of old-fashioned escapism or fans of a good, romantic, urban fantasy.
With thanks to Netgalley and Wild Rose Press for the review copy.
April 8, 2016
*I got this book from a goodreads giveaway*
I never give a synopsis of the book, enough reviewers do that in addition to the synopsis provided on site.
I'll start out by saying that this was a quick read. I read it in one go, took me about five hours. It was engrossing and while the premise was not all that original, I still enjoyed it.
That being said;
I was drawn in by the promise of gypsys, unfortunatly all I really got of the gypsy culture was that the girls wear stripper clothes, they all live in campers, and drink a lot of whiskey. Not sure that really qualifies as gypsy in my book but I was willing to overlook it. What really bugged me through the whole book was our main characters story (which she brought up throughout the book) that she was first and foremost a martial artist, had studied aaaaaalll sorts of different martial arts and won every time she competed and was only pressured late in her childhood into doing beauty pageants. Yet throughout the book its the "beauty queen" title that she keeps leaning on in her own head and when she describes herself to others. This just bugged me.
I would have liked more descriptive writing on the Moktars not just the repetition of them being stinky with saggy skin and yellow eyes. I finished the book without any real idea what they looked like which made their scenes hard to imagine which in turn made it hard to be emotionally involved in the "drama" of the fight scenes with them and the climax of the book.
The romance in the book was also completely bogus. They "loved" eachother after spending time together for four day. And even in her own head, she gives to reasons WHY she even likes him other than that he is SUPER HOT. which is...you know...the basis of love.
Anyway, a lot of things in this book seemed wholey unrealistic even withing the confines of the world we are given. All in all, not a bad book, but not a masterpiece.
I never give a synopsis of the book, enough reviewers do that in addition to the synopsis provided on site.
I'll start out by saying that this was a quick read. I read it in one go, took me about five hours. It was engrossing and while the premise was not all that original, I still enjoyed it.
That being said;
I was drawn in by the promise of gypsys, unfortunatly all I really got of the gypsy culture was that the girls wear stripper clothes, they all live in campers, and drink a lot of whiskey. Not sure that really qualifies as gypsy in my book but I was willing to overlook it. What really bugged me through the whole book was our main characters story (which she brought up throughout the book) that she was first and foremost a martial artist, had studied aaaaaalll sorts of different martial arts and won every time she competed and was only pressured late in her childhood into doing beauty pageants. Yet throughout the book its the "beauty queen" title that she keeps leaning on in her own head and when she describes herself to others. This just bugged me.
I would have liked more descriptive writing on the Moktars not just the repetition of them being stinky with saggy skin and yellow eyes. I finished the book without any real idea what they looked like which made their scenes hard to imagine which in turn made it hard to be emotionally involved in the "drama" of the fight scenes with them and the climax of the book.
The romance in the book was also completely bogus. They "loved" eachother after spending time together for four day. And even in her own head, she gives to reasons WHY she even likes him other than that he is SUPER HOT. which is...you know...the basis of love.
Anyway, a lot of things in this book seemed wholey unrealistic even withing the confines of the world we are given. All in all, not a bad book, but not a masterpiece.
June 27, 2017
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Emerson attends the University of York in England is attracted to Michael who she sees every morning at the tea shop. When she decides to follow him out of curiosity, she discovers a whole new world of beings both good and bad.
I like that Emerson didn't take things lying down and fought for herself. Michael, on the other hand, was the typical alpha male who wanted to protect the person he loved.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The story begins to pick up for me towards the middle since we discover new revelations one after another about Emerson and Michael. It has a slightly different plot than other paranormal books which kept me interested and curious for more.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog https://ilovereading2016.wordpress.com/
Emerson attends the University of York in England is attracted to Michael who she sees every morning at the tea shop. When she decides to follow him out of curiosity, she discovers a whole new world of beings both good and bad.
I like that Emerson didn't take things lying down and fought for herself. Michael, on the other hand, was the typical alpha male who wanted to protect the person he loved.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The story begins to pick up for me towards the middle since we discover new revelations one after another about Emerson and Michael. It has a slightly different plot than other paranormal books which kept me interested and curious for more.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog https://ilovereading2016.wordpress.com/
March 28, 2016
ARC provided by Netgalley.
Ok straight up, I didn't really enjoy reading this book. I thought the writing was good but it was the story that didn't really capture my interest. The blurb for the story was great and I wanted to read it right away, however, I thought the characters were all over the place rather than having an actual personality or specific attributes. Michael was hot and cold and Emerson was just not what I expected based on the blurb.
Usually I don't have a problem with cliches but there were a lot in this book and Emerson's humor and little quips here and there seemed overdone. I also thought the book was longer than it needed to be and drawn out just based on how long it took me to actually read the book. If I really like a book, I read right through it while savoring it. I kinda scanned this book which made me sad since I was so excited to read it.
Ok straight up, I didn't really enjoy reading this book. I thought the writing was good but it was the story that didn't really capture my interest. The blurb for the story was great and I wanted to read it right away, however, I thought the characters were all over the place rather than having an actual personality or specific attributes. Michael was hot and cold and Emerson was just not what I expected based on the blurb.
Usually I don't have a problem with cliches but there were a lot in this book and Emerson's humor and little quips here and there seemed overdone. I also thought the book was longer than it needed to be and drawn out just based on how long it took me to actually read the book. If I really like a book, I read right through it while savoring it. I kinda scanned this book which made me sad since I was so excited to read it.
April 12, 2016
More!!! I loved this book from start to finish. I couldn't put it down. Reading was more important than sleeping. Absolutely fantastic!
Emerson is such a loveable character. Her strength and quick whit will make you love her in no time. Michael is a broady mysterious hunk of a man. Emerson and Michael together are HOT!
This world that Abigail created felt so real and frightening. Her writing was so smooth. It was like watching a movie in my head.
Traveller is told in Emerson's point of view and can be read as a standalone. It will leave you wanting more.
Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon an Alpha.
Emerson is such a loveable character. Her strength and quick whit will make you love her in no time. Michael is a broady mysterious hunk of a man. Emerson and Michael together are HOT!
This world that Abigail created felt so real and frightening. Her writing was so smooth. It was like watching a movie in my head.
Traveller is told in Emerson's point of view and can be read as a standalone. It will leave you wanting more.
Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon an Alpha.
September 10, 2016
Although written for a younger adult audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic romp through an imaginary yet very believable otherworld set in York, England. Emerson, the main character is a delightfully quirky Kentucky girl who refers to Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" nearly every day of her life. And then of course, the are the chapter headers with quotes from Grandma Sugar and her down-home Kentucky wisdom.
August 17, 2016
Standalone?? Really??
I mean, I really liked this book but I have a lot of questions at the end.
I mean, I really liked this book but I have a lot of questions at the end.
May 28, 2016
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a short read and written well.
***ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
***ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews