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Solace From Shadows: Where Mortality and Eternity Collide
Solace From Shadows, the first supernatural romance novel in the Heart and Soul series, is a tribute to lost souls who stumble from the shadows of who they were, and into the light of who they were meant to be...
What happens when every moment, tucked within five brief days, becomes a memory? Each touch, and every whisper becomes a soul's sustenance to live, to hold on, when all seems lost? What if these few days were all that remained in the hourglass of a life lived? A day of rescue. A day of discovery. A day of togetherness. Another of resolution. On the last day...is it one of hope or tragedy? Life or resurrection...or both?
After a tragic wreck claims Elaine Pearson's family, she embarks on a solo hiking trek into the Blue Ridge Mountains. She only wants to escape her blighted past and the pain of her broken heart. But through a chance encounter with a protective, mysterious stranger, she is thrust into a world where dark creatures that haunted her childhood nightmares are now stalking her from the shadows...and trailing her up a mountain.
During a summer sabbatical, Duke University geneticist, Dr. Ian Kearney, finds Elaine stumbling along the Bartram Trail alone. His slumbering hybrid soul slowly begins to awaken, and he is unable to resist or deny the persistent soul stirrings that leave him craving a mate. His forgotten human self, however, is also awakening...and the man within wants everything he knows he shouldn't--her.
Solace From Shadows introduces Elaine, a young widow trying to make amends with her painful past; and Ian, a unique hybrid embodying both vampire and lycan DNA who is searching for more than the hollow existence he's created among humans. Their struggle to find peace, while coping with a resurrecting past, becomes a test of determination and fortitude when letting go is impossible.
This novel is NOT intended to be a Stand-Alone book. Light and Shadows, Dark Night of the Soul, and the finale, Light Over Dark Water, are the subsequent books in the Heart and Soul Series.
What happens when every moment, tucked within five brief days, becomes a memory? Each touch, and every whisper becomes a soul's sustenance to live, to hold on, when all seems lost? What if these few days were all that remained in the hourglass of a life lived? A day of rescue. A day of discovery. A day of togetherness. Another of resolution. On the last day...is it one of hope or tragedy? Life or resurrection...or both?
After a tragic wreck claims Elaine Pearson's family, she embarks on a solo hiking trek into the Blue Ridge Mountains. She only wants to escape her blighted past and the pain of her broken heart. But through a chance encounter with a protective, mysterious stranger, she is thrust into a world where dark creatures that haunted her childhood nightmares are now stalking her from the shadows...and trailing her up a mountain.
During a summer sabbatical, Duke University geneticist, Dr. Ian Kearney, finds Elaine stumbling along the Bartram Trail alone. His slumbering hybrid soul slowly begins to awaken, and he is unable to resist or deny the persistent soul stirrings that leave him craving a mate. His forgotten human self, however, is also awakening...and the man within wants everything he knows he shouldn't--her.
Solace From Shadows introduces Elaine, a young widow trying to make amends with her painful past; and Ian, a unique hybrid embodying both vampire and lycan DNA who is searching for more than the hollow existence he's created among humans. Their struggle to find peace, while coping with a resurrecting past, becomes a test of determination and fortitude when letting go is impossible.
This novel is NOT intended to be a Stand-Alone book. Light and Shadows, Dark Night of the Soul, and the finale, Light Over Dark Water, are the subsequent books in the Heart and Soul Series.
- GenresFantasy
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2016
16 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 26, 2020
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R. W. Patterson’s ‘Solace from Shadows’ is an enchanting tale of Elaine – a human trying to rediscover herself after an extremely tragic year in her life and Ian – a hybrid immortal fighting his own demons. With exquisite and beautiful penmanship, the author has spun a storyline dripping with emotions. The entire novel spans over 5 days, although the amount of feelings that have been packed in this short time is heartwarming and heartbreaking simultaneously.
The characters are very intricately curated, they are raw, flawed and unafraid to tackle life as it unfolds. At times, they are hesitant but mostly, they do not back away from revealing the ‘ghosts’ that haunt them and their minds. The writing is infinitely vivid and detailed that I felt as if I am there with the characters camping up in the mountains. The pace of the book is perfect without having any dull moments. Of course, it ends with a cliffhanger and now I cannot wait to read the next installment of the series. I recommend this book for all fantasy lovers out there.
R. W. Patterson’s ‘Solace from Shadows’ is an enchanting tale of Elaine – a human trying to rediscover herself after an extremely tragic year in her life and Ian – a hybrid immortal fighting his own demons. With exquisite and beautiful penmanship, the author has spun a storyline dripping with emotions. The entire novel spans over 5 days, although the amount of feelings that have been packed in this short time is heartwarming and heartbreaking simultaneously.
The characters are very intricately curated, they are raw, flawed and unafraid to tackle life as it unfolds. At times, they are hesitant but mostly, they do not back away from revealing the ‘ghosts’ that haunt them and their minds. The writing is infinitely vivid and detailed that I felt as if I am there with the characters camping up in the mountains. The pace of the book is perfect without having any dull moments. Of course, it ends with a cliffhanger and now I cannot wait to read the next installment of the series. I recommend this book for all fantasy lovers out there.
October 29, 2019
R.W. Patterson sets up a supernatural romance with a deep moral heart in Solace from Shadows! After embarking on a trip to try to recover from the loss of her family, Elaine encounters Ian, a vampire-lycan hybrid with his own inner demons. Together, the two must take on shadows beyond the one in their own hearts. The strength of the main characters is what makes or breaks a supernatural romance novel, and this is where Solace from Shadows shines! I loved the depth of both Elaine and Ian, and especially how both their struggles resonated so strongly with each other and the plot as a whole. If you love a good supernatural romance with depth, sink your teeth into this one!
May 27, 2020
Solace from Shadows is beautifully written. R.W. Patterson guides her main character, Elaine on a personal journey that helps her transition from her past into her future. Elaine has had great loss, and is seeking to find her purpose after a tragic event. She meets a unique man named Ian who stirs emotions in her that she had thought were gone. This is a paranormal romance that leaves you wanting more.
June 13, 2019
Who would have guessed that this slow burn introduction (which I LOVE) would bring me to tears in the first chapter.
Back story - that will be surmised in a sentence - I lost five people in my family within 2 years and found out an aunt had blood cancer three months after my mothers passing. ... *Awkward throat clearing* Soooo... the start of this novel starts off with you realizing that the MC's husband and children are no longer of this world. It was so artfully written that I was brought to tears on more than one occasion. I've read countless books and sometimes the way that it was described never rung a bell in my heart. It sort of dully chimed and I flipped to the next page.
Not in this book.
Hold my heart because I might ugly cry!
The emotions, inner turmoil, and overall need to escape pushed Elaine to the mountains for a hiking trip that would bring her heart and soul some peace. What she finds there shakes the very foundations of her being and awakens nightmares that she thought she had long suppressed.
Following along Elaine as she camped out, hiked, soul searched, got chased by a bear... did I say that? Nooooo. I didn't say that. There was no bear. I ran for my life with this girl and felt every quaking emotion in her shattered heart. There are no words to bring to justice the beauty, laughter, tears, and joy that I experienced while reading this book.
And Ian? Oh, be still my heart! He can swagger on into my dreams any day.
There is a blooming relationship that you get to watch unfurl before your eyes, and the ending had my One Click finger itching to snag book 2 before my brain would explode.
It's dark and dangerous meets paranormal slice of life and peppered with hints that things are only going to pick up from here. That is another book, a wonderful journey, I'm looking forward to taking with this new beloved author that I have been gifted with stumbling upon.
This book is fantastic and I can only urge you to give it a try. It will not disappoint.
Back story - that will be surmised in a sentence - I lost five people in my family within 2 years and found out an aunt had blood cancer three months after my mothers passing. ... *Awkward throat clearing* Soooo... the start of this novel starts off with you realizing that the MC's husband and children are no longer of this world. It was so artfully written that I was brought to tears on more than one occasion. I've read countless books and sometimes the way that it was described never rung a bell in my heart. It sort of dully chimed and I flipped to the next page.
Not in this book.
Hold my heart because I might ugly cry!
The emotions, inner turmoil, and overall need to escape pushed Elaine to the mountains for a hiking trip that would bring her heart and soul some peace. What she finds there shakes the very foundations of her being and awakens nightmares that she thought she had long suppressed.
Following along Elaine as she camped out, hiked, soul searched, got chased by a bear... did I say that? Nooooo. I didn't say that. There was no bear. I ran for my life with this girl and felt every quaking emotion in her shattered heart. There are no words to bring to justice the beauty, laughter, tears, and joy that I experienced while reading this book.
And Ian? Oh, be still my heart! He can swagger on into my dreams any day.
There is a blooming relationship that you get to watch unfurl before your eyes, and the ending had my One Click finger itching to snag book 2 before my brain would explode.
It's dark and dangerous meets paranormal slice of life and peppered with hints that things are only going to pick up from here. That is another book, a wonderful journey, I'm looking forward to taking with this new beloved author that I have been gifted with stumbling upon.
This book is fantastic and I can only urge you to give it a try. It will not disappoint.
February 18, 2020
Elaine lost her husband and three sons eight months ago in a car accident and is struggling to cope with her life as a young widow. She decides to continue her family’s plan to spend time hiking the Bartram Trail in North Carolina. As a child, Elaine was haunted by monsters in her dreams, and on this hiking trip, she discovers that there are more to her dreams than she realized.
Elaine meets Ian during an exciting part of her journey, and her life will never be the same. Ian is a vampire-lycan hybrid living as a human, and the two are drawn together by a powerful and unseen force that neither of them understands.
Solace From Shadows is a supernatural romance story like nothing I’ve read before. It has a fantasy theme that the author made it easy for me to believe. I’d recommend Solace From Shadows to anyone that likes adventure romance with a fantasy twist. I was glad to see that there are three other books in the Heart and Soul series.
I look forward to reading more about Elaine and Ian to find out what happens to Elaine. I’m also curious to see how they evolve as their relationship continues.
Elaine meets Ian during an exciting part of her journey, and her life will never be the same. Ian is a vampire-lycan hybrid living as a human, and the two are drawn together by a powerful and unseen force that neither of them understands.
Solace From Shadows is a supernatural romance story like nothing I’ve read before. It has a fantasy theme that the author made it easy for me to believe. I’d recommend Solace From Shadows to anyone that likes adventure romance with a fantasy twist. I was glad to see that there are three other books in the Heart and Soul series.
I look forward to reading more about Elaine and Ian to find out what happens to Elaine. I’m also curious to see how they evolve as their relationship continues.
July 15, 2020
Solace from Shadows is both an intriguing supernatural and intense love story which I couldn’t put down! It is so easy to get invested in the story of Elaine and Ian. Elaine is relatable and it’s difficult not to root for her after all she’s been through, and while Ian has very dark aspects to him, I still found myself wanting their pairing to work out.
Something which really stood out for me in Solace from Shadows is the believability of the world which Patterson builds. Often novels involving fantasy elements can go over the top and this ruins the immersion for me. I think a nice balance between the supernatural and the ‘real world’ aspects works best, and this is something which is achieved in this series. I found myself captivated by the synergy of these two aspects within the story and how easy it was to imagine it actually happening! I can’t wait to move on to the next book in the series!
Something which really stood out for me in Solace from Shadows is the believability of the world which Patterson builds. Often novels involving fantasy elements can go over the top and this ruins the immersion for me. I think a nice balance between the supernatural and the ‘real world’ aspects works best, and this is something which is achieved in this series. I found myself captivated by the synergy of these two aspects within the story and how easy it was to imagine it actually happening! I can’t wait to move on to the next book in the series!
February 26, 2020
An enthralling story filled with emotion and action that will keep you riveted and waiting for the next stage of Elaine's journey. She is grief stricken and seeking solace she travels to the mountains where she encounters dangers and experiences that leave her vulnerable and yet open to a stranger that risks his own safety to help her. A paranormal journey that boggles the mind. Ramonica Patterson certainly has a talent for putting words together.
March 21, 2020
This is a new author to me. It took a bit to get the hang of her writing style and took a bit of time to get into this story, but once I did, I was totally invested. Looking forward to book two.
May 9, 2018
I liked the way in which the psychological turmoil of the characters blends with Nature.
February 22, 2018
I loved this book. The author definitely took me into the book and made me feel part of the story. The characters are perfectly described and the chemistry from the very beginning is beautiful. This is a sweet although intense paranormal love story. Bring on book 2.
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March 4, 2018Finally, I finished SOLACE! It took me a bit as it isnt available in audio version. It is the only non-audio book I even bought in 2017.
Lets start with the POSITIVES:
The writing is beautiful at times and the author has a way of conveying the main character's feelings with elegance. There are some poetic metaphors that the author uses brilliantly, such as:
"One celestial quake and the timeline belonging to her had imploded in the heavens like a dying star. It was like falling into oblivion, she thought wearily, the tattered remains of her life floated—unanchored in a vacuum of what was and what little remained."
Elaine is our main character. When listening to her thoughts it sometimes felt like I could feel her suffering. I felt the writing was best when it was Suttle. Just enough where you can remember and compare your own experiences with loss.
Also, I really like the title of this story. I think a great title is just as powerful as great cover art.
Now, on the other hand, this book should have been named SADNESS. Because that is what I felt 99% of the time while reading it.
Yes, I do understand that the book is about dealing with grief, but it is really piled on and by the time you get to the end you really don't feel any relief. I think the authors intention was to make the reader and Elaine get their 'Waiting to Exhale' moment with Ian but it just didn't come across to me. I still felt sad when it was over.
As Elaine searches for herself and items on her list on her "camping trip", she meets Ian. This is were the majority of the Supernatural parts of the book are introduced.
When writing a fantasty novel you have the ability to create your own world and rules. This book could have been written without the Supernatural... which for those of us who choose to read it for SciFi/Fantasy side is bad thing... imagine Jane Yellow Rock or Mercy Thompson without the Supernatural... those stories would utterly cease to exist. The Fantasy has to be entrenched in the story for it to matter, otherwise you just have a sad ass story with random wierd stuff that happens.
I think a prelogue with a bit of Ian's background could have helped. It may be the author will give us a better backstory on the werewolves and vampires in the next story... but for this one it was utterly impossible to understand Ian, his motives, or his concerns. TO ME, he came off as a creepy most of the book. There was a section of the story towards the very end that gives me hope for him but that was at the very end.
Elaine, of course, doesn't have my reservations and on their second day together she is already spitting out things like: “Ian, you belong with me, you know this, don’t you?” she asked.
Yes, I said the second day. Actually it starts in day one but the lady hears voices in her head so I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Now this isn't an action packed high fantasy novel, but it does have its moments. The majority of the book focuses on Elaine dealing with the loss of her loved ones, but she has a few interesting encounters and does some perculiar stuff like
1. Goes out into the forest alone.
2. Meets a stranger in the first day and immediately trusts him
3. Meets a "monster" in the forest and cuddles with him
4. Talks to her dead family in her in her mind
5. Two shady bad dudes walk up into her camp and she doesn't freak out
6. 1 bobcat encounter
7. 2 bear encounters
My favorite quote from the book:
“There’s no such thing—the right decision is the one you make when the other makes you feel like shit. Now, tell me, what has you torn up.”
Overrall, I think romance lovers and those who are new to the fantasy genre will enjoy the this book. Though I would have liked more development put into the Supernatural portions, the background and emotional pull to Elaine was intense. The writing is done well and has some beautiful moments.
Audible Books Listener
Alexis
Lets start with the POSITIVES:
The writing is beautiful at times and the author has a way of conveying the main character's feelings with elegance. There are some poetic metaphors that the author uses brilliantly, such as:
"One celestial quake and the timeline belonging to her had imploded in the heavens like a dying star. It was like falling into oblivion, she thought wearily, the tattered remains of her life floated—unanchored in a vacuum of what was and what little remained."
Elaine is our main character. When listening to her thoughts it sometimes felt like I could feel her suffering. I felt the writing was best when it was Suttle. Just enough where you can remember and compare your own experiences with loss.
Also, I really like the title of this story. I think a great title is just as powerful as great cover art.
Now, on the other hand, this book should have been named SADNESS. Because that is what I felt 99% of the time while reading it.
Yes, I do understand that the book is about dealing with grief, but it is really piled on and by the time you get to the end you really don't feel any relief. I think the authors intention was to make the reader and Elaine get their 'Waiting to Exhale' moment with Ian but it just didn't come across to me. I still felt sad when it was over.
As Elaine searches for herself and items on her list on her "camping trip", she meets Ian. This is were the majority of the Supernatural parts of the book are introduced.
When writing a fantasty novel you have the ability to create your own world and rules. This book could have been written without the Supernatural... which for those of us who choose to read it for SciFi/Fantasy side is bad thing... imagine Jane Yellow Rock or Mercy Thompson without the Supernatural... those stories would utterly cease to exist. The Fantasy has to be entrenched in the story for it to matter, otherwise you just have a sad ass story with random wierd stuff that happens.
I think a prelogue with a bit of Ian's background could have helped. It may be the author will give us a better backstory on the werewolves and vampires in the next story... but for this one it was utterly impossible to understand Ian, his motives, or his concerns. TO ME, he came off as a creepy most of the book. There was a section of the story towards the very end that gives me hope for him but that was at the very end.
Elaine, of course, doesn't have my reservations and on their second day together she is already spitting out things like: “Ian, you belong with me, you know this, don’t you?” she asked.
Yes, I said the second day. Actually it starts in day one but the lady hears voices in her head so I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Now this isn't an action packed high fantasy novel, but it does have its moments. The majority of the book focuses on Elaine dealing with the loss of her loved ones, but she has a few interesting encounters and does some perculiar stuff like
1. Goes out into the forest alone.
2. Meets a stranger in the first day and immediately trusts him
3. Meets a "monster" in the forest and cuddles with him
4. Talks to her dead family in her in her mind
5. Two shady bad dudes walk up into her camp and she doesn't freak out
6. 1 bobcat encounter
7. 2 bear encounters
My favorite quote from the book:
“There’s no such thing—the right decision is the one you make when the other makes you feel like shit. Now, tell me, what has you torn up.”
Overrall, I think romance lovers and those who are new to the fantasy genre will enjoy the this book. Though I would have liked more development put into the Supernatural portions, the background and emotional pull to Elaine was intense. The writing is done well and has some beautiful moments.
Audible Books Listener
Alexis
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