What do you think?
Rate this book
Fated Wings #1
First Impressions
Eva Taylor has been locked in an attic for 4 years.
Failed by the foster system, and left in the hands of a woman who hates her, and a man who wants her, Eva has given up hope of ever having a life.
When she finds a mysterious letter from Rothmore College addressed to her in the trash, Eva's future suddenly comes alive. Now all she has to do is figure out a way to escape her attic prison, make her way across the country to New York City, and figure out all the things that point to the fact that there are things about her that aren't exactly normal...
Along the way Eva meets new friends, explores new places, and stumbles across three beautiful, charismatic, and alarmingly otherworldly men. Do they hold the key to Eva discovering who she really is, or are they just good at first impressions?
Failed by the foster system, and left in the hands of a woman who hates her, and a man who wants her, Eva has given up hope of ever having a life.
When she finds a mysterious letter from Rothmore College addressed to her in the trash, Eva's future suddenly comes alive. Now all she has to do is figure out a way to escape her attic prison, make her way across the country to New York City, and figure out all the things that point to the fact that there are things about her that aren't exactly normal...
Along the way Eva meets new friends, explores new places, and stumbles across three beautiful, charismatic, and alarmingly otherworldly men. Do they hold the key to Eva discovering who she really is, or are they just good at first impressions?
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2018
2230 people are currently reading
3564 people want to read
About the author
C.R. Jane
97 books5,158 followersI'm a wife, mother, and author! Writing has always been a passion for me, and publishing my first series is a dream come true. I drink too much caffeine, never sleep, and my imagination is always churning out ideas. Eva and her men have been in my head for awhile, and I'm so glad to finally take you with me on this journey!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
March 26, 2018
Uh...what?
WTF
That is all that keeps going through my mind as I sit down to try to review First Impressions. The whole time I was reading, I kept shaking my head in disbelief at what had to be the most stupid goody two shoes on the planet. And for someone who supposed spent her entire adolescent life being horribly abused both mentally and physically, she didn’t demonstrate a single issue as a result - other than being clueless about the world. Or maybe I should say clueless about everything in general. I will bet that if you look in the dictionary for the definition of “special snowflake” a picture of her will be staring out at you along with “see First Impressions”. *sigh*
On top of that, nearly every person we meet in this novel (including and especially the members of her future harem) are complete asshats! Not a redeeming quality among them. (Hmmm...with the exception of the limo driver...and possibly the one nice cheerleader, maybe.)
Seriously, as I was reading, I kept thinking to myself, “This is awfully like someone wrote down their stream-of-consciousness daydream of what it would be like to be perfect and to have the perfect life.” (And clearly the author couldn’t decide between being a star athlete, a movie star, or a rock star.) All that was missing was winning the lottery! (Though I will bet that’s coming since Special Snowflake hasn’t had a chance yet to buy a ticket having been locked away from the world.)
And then I got to the author’s note at the end - and what do you know, it WAS a daydream in written form!! And unfortunately it needed a critical editor to come in and help with grammar and language issues, though the author had clearly taken pains to proofread since it was thankfully typo-error free. Thank you! That at least kept it readable.
And I did make it all the way through, even if I was shaking my head on a regular basis. And I might possibly read he follow up, if only because it ended on the worst cliffhanger ever.
After all this harsh criticism, I will add that there are the bones here of a great RH story. Tone down the perfection, add in some personality flaws, make the heroes a tad less detestable starting out (you can still show them being self absorbed with issue galore without going this far..and still have plenty of room for growth), and get a good editor, and I could easily bump this to a three or possibly four stars (depending where it goes).
WTF
That is all that keeps going through my mind as I sit down to try to review First Impressions. The whole time I was reading, I kept shaking my head in disbelief at what had to be the most stupid goody two shoes on the planet. And for someone who supposed spent her entire adolescent life being horribly abused both mentally and physically, she didn’t demonstrate a single issue as a result - other than being clueless about the world. Or maybe I should say clueless about everything in general. I will bet that if you look in the dictionary for the definition of “special snowflake” a picture of her will be staring out at you along with “see First Impressions”. *sigh*
On top of that, nearly every person we meet in this novel (including and especially the members of her future harem) are complete asshats! Not a redeeming quality among them. (Hmmm...with the exception of the limo driver...and possibly the one nice cheerleader, maybe.)
Seriously, as I was reading, I kept thinking to myself, “This is awfully like someone wrote down their stream-of-consciousness daydream of what it would be like to be perfect and to have the perfect life.” (And clearly the author couldn’t decide between being a star athlete, a movie star, or a rock star.) All that was missing was winning the lottery! (Though I will bet that’s coming since Special Snowflake hasn’t had a chance yet to buy a ticket having been locked away from the world.)
And then I got to the author’s note at the end - and what do you know, it WAS a daydream in written form!! And unfortunately it needed a critical editor to come in and help with grammar and language issues, though the author had clearly taken pains to proofread since it was thankfully typo-error free. Thank you! That at least kept it readable.
And I did make it all the way through, even if I was shaking my head on a regular basis. And I might possibly read he follow up, if only because it ended on the worst cliffhanger ever.
After all this harsh criticism, I will add that there are the bones here of a great RH story. Tone down the perfection, add in some personality flaws, make the heroes a tad less detestable starting out (you can still show them being self absorbed with issue galore without going this far..and still have plenty of room for growth), and get a good editor, and I could easily bump this to a three or possibly four stars (depending where it goes).
April 22, 2019
Rating : 3 stars
This book was both suprisingly entertaining and completely wrong. First Impressions is rightfully called. Absolutely nothing happens in this book beside Eva meeting her future harem. But it's enough to be all creeped at the end of the book.
Eva has been locked in an attic for years by her foster family. She finally escapes after receiving a full scolarship from a very elite college.
Since her teenager years, Eva has bewitched every man she came across. It took only one look from her for them to became weirdly obsessed, one sentence to turn them into creepy stalkers. Nobody is invulnerable, even gay men and otherwordly beings like Damon Pierce. They follow her, they scheme to lock her away and keep her for themselves, they get jealous, possessive and even dangerous. The first member of her harem -said Damon Pierce- is the same and his chapters quickly made me uncomfortable.
But the saddest part in this is that Eva is oblivious to it all. Completely oblivious. She gets phone numbers as easily as air in her lungs, she gets free stuff, enough tips to probably buy a house at the end of the month, she never has to pay for her meal or her coffee. Men keep staying in her personal space but she doesn't even realize. Many times I wondered if she was either very naive of just plain stupid.
But stupid she is not. Perfect is more likely. She might be the only student on an academic scolarship in this college, she can best the best of cheerleaders just by thinking it, run eight miles without breaking a sweat and can give a rock star a run for his money by singing on a karaoke stage. She reached a whole new level of special snowflake and Mary Sueism I'm not sure I will ever find another one in the future.
The creepiness, the perfection of the heroine and the absence of any plot should have bored the hell out of me but i actually really enjoyed the book. What can I say, I do love my special snowflakes from time to time and Eva definitely hit the right mark. Very looking forward the next book but would not be against more material.
This book was both suprisingly entertaining and completely wrong. First Impressions is rightfully called. Absolutely nothing happens in this book beside Eva meeting her future harem. But it's enough to be all creeped at the end of the book.
Eva has been locked in an attic for years by her foster family. She finally escapes after receiving a full scolarship from a very elite college.
Since her teenager years, Eva has bewitched every man she came across. It took only one look from her for them to became weirdly obsessed, one sentence to turn them into creepy stalkers. Nobody is invulnerable, even gay men and otherwordly beings like Damon Pierce. They follow her, they scheme to lock her away and keep her for themselves, they get jealous, possessive and even dangerous. The first member of her harem -said Damon Pierce- is the same and his chapters quickly made me uncomfortable.
But the saddest part in this is that Eva is oblivious to it all. Completely oblivious. She gets phone numbers as easily as air in her lungs, she gets free stuff, enough tips to probably buy a house at the end of the month, she never has to pay for her meal or her coffee. Men keep staying in her personal space but she doesn't even realize. Many times I wondered if she was either very naive of just plain stupid.
But stupid she is not. Perfect is more likely. She might be the only student on an academic scolarship in this college, she can best the best of cheerleaders just by thinking it, run eight miles without breaking a sweat and can give a rock star a run for his money by singing on a karaoke stage. She reached a whole new level of special snowflake and Mary Sueism I'm not sure I will ever find another one in the future.
The creepiness, the perfection of the heroine and the absence of any plot should have bored the hell out of me but i actually really enjoyed the book. What can I say, I do love my special snowflakes from time to time and Eva definitely hit the right mark. Very looking forward the next book but would not be against more material.
July 20, 2018
I do not know what to rate this,
Its absolutely terrible but at the same time I read it all and the next one too?!! there must be something wrong with me...
God what to say about this, I think it would take a more capable person than me to put it into words. everyone was so perfect... too perfect.
The snowflake that is Eva is a masterpiece of a Mary Sue.
Lets visualise
combined with
on Prozak
at Disneyland
Thats the level of super specialness we're talking about here.
From the minute she stepped out of her prison in the attic people were throwing things at her, chocolate bars, clothes...jobs! She could do anything she put her mind to like learning gymnastics from visualising the flips. Her singing would entrapture anyone who heard.
She makes men break up with their girlfriends upon sight, they didn't even need to talk to her just see her and bye bye longstanding relationship
righttttt ok, getting the picture
the Harem was amazingly conceited also and it didn't endear me to them at all.
The inconsistency's were so obvious which makes me think it wasn't edited at all - She can heal anything including regrowing hair overnight but somehow her ears stayed pierced??She spent 4 years in an attic and doesn't know any pop culture but somehow knows what marijuana smells like...??
so why on Gods green earth did I continue reading this and read the next...I STILL DON'T KNOW!!!
Its absolutely terrible but at the same time I read it all and the next one too?!! there must be something wrong with me...
God what to say about this, I think it would take a more capable person than me to put it into words. everyone was so perfect... too perfect.
The snowflake that is Eva is a masterpiece of a Mary Sue.
Lets visualise
combined with
on Prozak
at Disneyland
Thats the level of super specialness we're talking about here.
From the minute she stepped out of her prison in the attic people were throwing things at her, chocolate bars, clothes...jobs! She could do anything she put her mind to like learning gymnastics from visualising the flips. Her singing would entrapture anyone who heard.
She makes men break up with their girlfriends upon sight, they didn't even need to talk to her just see her and bye bye longstanding relationship
righttttt ok, getting the picture
the Harem was amazingly conceited also and it didn't endear me to them at all.
The inconsistency's were so obvious which makes me think it wasn't edited at all - She can heal anything including regrowing hair overnight but somehow her ears stayed pierced??She spent 4 years in an attic and doesn't know any pop culture but somehow knows what marijuana smells like...??
so why on Gods green earth did I continue reading this and read the next...I STILL DON'T KNOW!!!
July 18, 2022
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
Not going to lie, this was more than a little over the top with the whole "She's amazing and everyone loves her" thing. Like in a cheesy and sort of ridiculous kind of way. But it totally worked for my mood and the story did make me interested to learn more about the characters. The books seem short and easy so I'll continue with the series but I just saw that this is apparently 7 books for the same characters and I already know that I won't last for 6 more books.
I'm glad I didn't know just how many books this series was when I started this one though since it already felt drawn out and a little slow and that knowledge that there were so many more books would have just made that feeling worse.
Also I wish the paranormal aspect was more developed. We got hints of what the characters were and little mentions of them having powers or special abilities but nothing was really explained. I think it that was fleshed out a little more then Eva being "oh so special" wouldn't have felt so ridiculous. Anyway, I think it's an intriguing story and I hope my attention can last for another few books at least.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
Not going to lie, this was more than a little over the top with the whole "She's amazing and everyone loves her" thing. Like in a cheesy and sort of ridiculous kind of way. But it totally worked for my mood and the story did make me interested to learn more about the characters. The books seem short and easy so I'll continue with the series but I just saw that this is apparently 7 books for the same characters and I already know that I won't last for 6 more books.
I'm glad I didn't know just how many books this series was when I started this one though since it already felt drawn out and a little slow and that knowledge that there were so many more books would have just made that feeling worse.
Also I wish the paranormal aspect was more developed. We got hints of what the characters were and little mentions of them having powers or special abilities but nothing was really explained. I think it that was fleshed out a little more then Eva being "oh so special" wouldn't have felt so ridiculous. Anyway, I think it's an intriguing story and I hope my attention can last for another few books at least.
May 12, 2021
The heroine is so pretty, the first day she arrives in New York she gets 2 free stuff from different places. Everyone stares her at college, EVERYONE, all the guys love her ALL THE GUYS. And she is everyone’s favourite cuz she is mary sue and pretty who doesnt know she is pretty. This book is more unrealistic than paranormal shifter books. And i hate it how authors handle abuse, the heroine has been abused by her foster parents for yrs but suddenly she is able to go to New York all by herself alone without experiencing any trauma or thinking about the abuse as if she forgot it in 2 sec. the first thing in her mind after she runs away from her foster parents is to play dress up, and did i mention she gets Free stuff cuz she is pretty. Yeah cuz Forever 21 just gave her a free dress cuz she is looks so pretty in it. Wtf. How to ppl come up with such bs?
May 3, 2018
Ridiculous
Almost comical.
Eva begins as a tortured captive by the wicked witch of the west and her Percy husband
She discovers an admission letter to the most elite college in the country that she never even applied to
She escapes to uni, where she magically has a full ride scholarship with food and accommodation
She’s a genius, the most beautiful creature, a cheerleading goddess (with no training). She gets a job at an elite restaurant with no references or papers. She makes $1000 a night
Everyone’s obsessed with her instantly.
Then there are the heroes. The superstar quarterback, rock star God, Hollywood film star heroes. All of them. At the same time. Don’t forget, they’re all gazillionaires. That treat women like disposable toys.
Ridiculous.
Almost comical.
Eva begins as a tortured captive by the wicked witch of the west and her Percy husband
She discovers an admission letter to the most elite college in the country that she never even applied to
She escapes to uni, where she magically has a full ride scholarship with food and accommodation
She’s a genius, the most beautiful creature, a cheerleading goddess (with no training). She gets a job at an elite restaurant with no references or papers. She makes $1000 a night
Everyone’s obsessed with her instantly.
Then there are the heroes. The superstar quarterback, rock star God, Hollywood film star heroes. All of them. At the same time. Don’t forget, they’re all gazillionaires. That treat women like disposable toys.
Ridiculous.
November 25, 2018
I honestly don't know what to say about this book.
It is not really good but it is entertaining.
My issue with this book is that you have no idea what Eva is and so she comes off as a girl that naturally all men love and have to have and all other women hate her. I would prefer to know what kind of supernatural being she is.
The books are short enough that I will continue on with the series. Again, I was entertained reading the story.
It is not really good but it is entertaining.
My issue with this book is that you have no idea what Eva is and so she comes off as a girl that naturally all men love and have to have and all other women hate her. I would prefer to know what kind of supernatural being she is.
The books are short enough that I will continue on with the series. Again, I was entertained reading the story.
May 23, 2018
Incredible
An ending like that is just plain torture!!! Cliffhanger like no tomorrow and now I am so hooked on this story that I have to keep going. Eva is one intriguing main character that has a rough life that she manages to escape. As she joins the real world lots of drama, fun, and so much more starts happening. I cannot wait to learn all of the secrets for this group. If you like paranormal romance then you so have to read this. I loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
An ending like that is just plain torture!!! Cliffhanger like no tomorrow and now I am so hooked on this story that I have to keep going. Eva is one intriguing main character that has a rough life that she manages to escape. As she joins the real world lots of drama, fun, and so much more starts happening. I cannot wait to learn all of the secrets for this group. If you like paranormal romance then you so have to read this. I loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
May 7, 2025
Reverse-harem series starter!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 🤓😀😘
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Eva - her parents died when she was young, and she grew up in foster care. From the time she was thirteen till nearly eighteen she lived with the Anderson’s, a horrible couple who abused her and kept her locked in the attic. They were religious people and said she had the devil in her because she was unnaturally beautiful, she healed quickly from the injuries they gave her, and they said she had some kind of allure that made men weak around her (especially her foster father who often touched her inappropriately). Whenever her foster mother tried to make her uglier by cutting her hair, it would grow back overnight.
The Story: One day Eva finds some mail addressed to her in the trash; she takes it out without her foster parents seeing and finds out that it is a college acceptance letter and notification that she got a full scholarship to Rothmore college in New York city. She spends the next four months planning to escape since the college year begins a month before she turns eighteen. She also dreams of the handsome guy on the cover of the brochure, Damon.
The Heroes: Damon - he comes from an extremely wealthy family, he is the star quarterback at Rothmore, and in his free time, he stars in movies and joins his friend with his band onstage for a few songs. Oh, and he has wings and flies around campus at night.
Mason - He is Damon’s best friend and is the lead singer in a band called The Riot. One of is gifts was his voice, and his band was rapidly gaining popularity. He has an actress girlfriend, who looks the other way when he hooks up with other girls. He says the only people he can stand to spend any amount of time with are Damon and Beckham.
Beckham - He is also Damon’s friend, and a big movie star.
This was definitely the series starter, it was less than 200 pages and just basically introduced the characters and the background. There was quite a while when Eva still lived at the Anderson’s house and was being abused and wanting nothing more than to get out. I liked Eva, though she was quite oblivious to her own attractiveness. She had been attracting men for a long time, including Mr. Anderson and even their pastor who came to dinner with his wife one time. So, the fact that she keeps thinking something might be on her face when people stare at her is a bit dim-witted.
I liked all the guys—players before meeting Eva, each with their own glamorous and messy lives—it set up some juicy character tension. There’s plenty of room for deeper development in the next book, especially when it comes to Eva stepping into her own power and understanding who she really is beyond just being "entrancing" to men. I also enjoyed the hostility between her and the girl Damon had an on and off hook-up with, who ended up being the head cheerleader when Eva made the team. In this book, Eva was just starting to get to know the guys, who were all captivated with her, like all other men in her life. Since this was a series starter, it ended with a slight cliff-hanger. I plan to listen to the next book; I want more character development for all the main characters.
This audiobook was told from multiple points of view and was done in dual narration. Dual narration always makes audiobooks feel more immersive. Felicity Monroe's expressive style paired with Nelson Hobbs’ varied character voices seems like a solid match. I usually prefer a deeper voice in male narrators for romance—I think it adds more weight to those emotionally charged moments, though I did really like Nelson Hobbs’ voice.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest|BookBub
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 🤓😀😘
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Eva - her parents died when she was young, and she grew up in foster care. From the time she was thirteen till nearly eighteen she lived with the Anderson’s, a horrible couple who abused her and kept her locked in the attic. They were religious people and said she had the devil in her because she was unnaturally beautiful, she healed quickly from the injuries they gave her, and they said she had some kind of allure that made men weak around her (especially her foster father who often touched her inappropriately). Whenever her foster mother tried to make her uglier by cutting her hair, it would grow back overnight.
The Story: One day Eva finds some mail addressed to her in the trash; she takes it out without her foster parents seeing and finds out that it is a college acceptance letter and notification that she got a full scholarship to Rothmore college in New York city. She spends the next four months planning to escape since the college year begins a month before she turns eighteen. She also dreams of the handsome guy on the cover of the brochure, Damon.
The Heroes: Damon - he comes from an extremely wealthy family, he is the star quarterback at Rothmore, and in his free time, he stars in movies and joins his friend with his band onstage for a few songs. Oh, and he has wings and flies around campus at night.
Mason - He is Damon’s best friend and is the lead singer in a band called The Riot. One of is gifts was his voice, and his band was rapidly gaining popularity. He has an actress girlfriend, who looks the other way when he hooks up with other girls. He says the only people he can stand to spend any amount of time with are Damon and Beckham.
Beckham - He is also Damon’s friend, and a big movie star.
This was definitely the series starter, it was less than 200 pages and just basically introduced the characters and the background. There was quite a while when Eva still lived at the Anderson’s house and was being abused and wanting nothing more than to get out. I liked Eva, though she was quite oblivious to her own attractiveness. She had been attracting men for a long time, including Mr. Anderson and even their pastor who came to dinner with his wife one time. So, the fact that she keeps thinking something might be on her face when people stare at her is a bit dim-witted.
I liked all the guys—players before meeting Eva, each with their own glamorous and messy lives—it set up some juicy character tension. There’s plenty of room for deeper development in the next book, especially when it comes to Eva stepping into her own power and understanding who she really is beyond just being "entrancing" to men. I also enjoyed the hostility between her and the girl Damon had an on and off hook-up with, who ended up being the head cheerleader when Eva made the team. In this book, Eva was just starting to get to know the guys, who were all captivated with her, like all other men in her life. Since this was a series starter, it ended with a slight cliff-hanger. I plan to listen to the next book; I want more character development for all the main characters.
This audiobook was told from multiple points of view and was done in dual narration. Dual narration always makes audiobooks feel more immersive. Felicity Monroe's expressive style paired with Nelson Hobbs’ varied character voices seems like a solid match. I usually prefer a deeper voice in male narrators for romance—I think it adds more weight to those emotionally charged moments, though I did really like Nelson Hobbs’ voice.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest|BookBub
March 18, 2018
Eva was a child lost to the foster system. For four years she has been locked in an attic, mentally and physically abused in the cruelest manner. Allowed downstairs for dinner one evening, she finds a letter addressed to her in the garbage. It's an acceptance letter to the prestigious Rothmore College with a full scholarship, room, and board. After months of careful planning, Eva escapes and makes her way to New York to her new life. Once at Rothmore Eva quickly embraces her new opportunity. This life is wondrous to Eva. Each experience new and enlightening. Caught up in her new world Eva does not realize her effect on people. She has an incomparable beauty. A beauty that stuns people into silence, causes people to fall all over themselves to grab her attention, to please her. She quickly gathers male admirers, including the school's star quarterback, Damon Pierce. Damon has never met a female who could resist him until Eva. Now he's found the girl he wants and he's determined not to lose her. Unsure for the first time in his life Damon goes slow and befriends Eva with a long-term plan to make her his. He's making slow progress with his dream girl when suddenly he has true competition, his best friend, and roommate, Mason Shaw. Mason is the lead singer of a band and when he spots Eva in the crowd, every other woman pales in comparison. He knows he must have her. Sweeping her off her feet, Mason asks her to a major event where Eva once again attracts a new admirer, Damon and Mason's third friend, Beckham Stone. There's something unusual about Damon, Mason, and Beckham but it seems that Eva is pretty special herself.
First Impressions is a marvelous start to a new RH paranormal series. I loved every second of this book. Eva could have been a broken soul after her childhood. Instead, she is smart, talented, private, and has no idea of her true self but she is open to all of life's possibilities. Fresh experiences each new day with her, enjoying simple things we take for granted is a delight. Her lack of ego is refreshing. I adore her character. I was afraid that I would hate Damon and Mason. I am not a fan of the man-whore and these two certainly have a long history of using women. However, their immediate change after meeting Eva made their pasts seem less significant. Damon was so careful of Eva, so attentive, so gentle. Even with his less than scrupulous plans to keep her close, I felt like he truly fell for her. Mason was a whirlwind. What girl wouldn't be caught up in this force of nature? And while we only got a moment with Beckham, he sure had an impact!
This is a book of introductions. We meet the main characters, we get to know them or at least get a feel for them. They have all met, the chemistry is immediate, intense, natural. The stage is set now for an amazing story. I have a new obsession. I hate to be 'that' reader but I am desperate for more!
First Impressions is a marvelous start to a new RH paranormal series. I loved every second of this book. Eva could have been a broken soul after her childhood. Instead, she is smart, talented, private, and has no idea of her true self but she is open to all of life's possibilities. Fresh experiences each new day with her, enjoying simple things we take for granted is a delight. Her lack of ego is refreshing. I adore her character. I was afraid that I would hate Damon and Mason. I am not a fan of the man-whore and these two certainly have a long history of using women. However, their immediate change after meeting Eva made their pasts seem less significant. Damon was so careful of Eva, so attentive, so gentle. Even with his less than scrupulous plans to keep her close, I felt like he truly fell for her. Mason was a whirlwind. What girl wouldn't be caught up in this force of nature? And while we only got a moment with Beckham, he sure had an impact!
This is a book of introductions. We meet the main characters, we get to know them or at least get a feel for them. They have all met, the chemistry is immediate, intense, natural. The stage is set now for an amazing story. I have a new obsession. I hate to be 'that' reader but I am desperate for more!
November 2, 2019
Loved this ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️ my only complaint was that it ended...
I . Want. More. Please !
Eva is soo soo cool! I love her personality,I love how she’s humble and kind and oblivious to all the attention, but even though she’s sweet and humble, she’s nobody’s fool and she doesn’t take poop ( cant use the word I want)from anybody....
Though it’s odd we ever see Eva go to class, I loved seeing her new life unfold and her lack of bitterness and pity.... She was a wonderful blend of kindness and intelligence and heart,cautious and wary but never bitter, or self-pitying or hard....
Even though I can’t see Eva as anything but words on a page I too feel drawn to her and can’t wait to read more of her story...
I’d love to be her to some degree,only what ever supernatural being I was, if I were also want to have something I could use as my defense even if it were only teleportation...
Eva seems to bring out a kindness and a lust in most who meet her, well those who aren’t jealous of her but still , there are horrible ppl our there like her foster parents , there are ppl who would want to use and or hurt her,sooo a way to defend herself is needed even if it were just ability to get away from dangerous ppl and situations by teleporting away...
My only true regret other than the story ending as abruptly as it did was Damon... Even though he was a bit selfish at times,I really hated how things have temporarily ended between them,O I’m sure they’ll make up ,once given a chance but it was a bit sad and frustrating for things to go like they did after all the work and effort he’d put into getting to know and get close to Eva...
Honestly Damon’s reaction was disappointing in its self pity and passiveness .... To temporarily F up as bad as he did w/a woman he’s become soo obsessed with to just sit there and drink himself blind while saying to himself , she’ll forgive and forget, was just too odd and passive....
One minute your thinking of schemes to force to have to move in w/him soo he can have her around 24/7 or near abouts and then to roll over like that ?
It just made Damon look weak in my eyes.... I hate that...
I can’t wait for more thank you for writing this out...
I hope someday someone is says no the same to me about the stories and characters that haunt my thoughts and dreams...
Nov.1 '19
I was recently remind of this review.... While I stand by my feelings towards this first story,I like my stories and relationships fairly straight forward. When I looked a ahead and saw and have seen what comes after this ? I won't use the word "convoluted", I van't because I haven't read them ,only researched them but. But for a series that started soo well for me,it took off in directions that baffled and confused me. The heroine going off and spending more time alone than w/her men .in
dream worlds and fantasies. This is the writers vision and story to tell but sadly what the want to tell isn't always what we want to read. I'm adding this because, because it made me sad to be reminded of a book/series that had started off w/soo much promise for me only to end soo quickly.
If unlike me you enjoy what comes next I wish you well and I'm glad your still having a good time.
I just wish this had been a journey I could have enjoyed w/you...
I . Want. More. Please !
Eva is soo soo cool! I love her personality,I love how she’s humble and kind and oblivious to all the attention, but even though she’s sweet and humble, she’s nobody’s fool and she doesn’t take poop ( cant use the word I want)from anybody....
Though it’s odd we ever see Eva go to class, I loved seeing her new life unfold and her lack of bitterness and pity.... She was a wonderful blend of kindness and intelligence and heart,cautious and wary but never bitter, or self-pitying or hard....
Even though I can’t see Eva as anything but words on a page I too feel drawn to her and can’t wait to read more of her story...
I’d love to be her to some degree,only what ever supernatural being I was, if I were also want to have something I could use as my defense even if it were only teleportation...
Eva seems to bring out a kindness and a lust in most who meet her, well those who aren’t jealous of her but still , there are horrible ppl our there like her foster parents , there are ppl who would want to use and or hurt her,sooo a way to defend herself is needed even if it were just ability to get away from dangerous ppl and situations by teleporting away...
My only true regret other than the story ending as abruptly as it did was Damon... Even though he was a bit selfish at times,I really hated how things have temporarily ended between them,O I’m sure they’ll make up ,once given a chance but it was a bit sad and frustrating for things to go like they did after all the work and effort he’d put into getting to know and get close to Eva...
Honestly Damon’s reaction was disappointing in its self pity and passiveness .... To temporarily F up as bad as he did w/a woman he’s become soo obsessed with to just sit there and drink himself blind while saying to himself , she’ll forgive and forget, was just too odd and passive....
One minute your thinking of schemes to force to have to move in w/him soo he can have her around 24/7 or near abouts and then to roll over like that ?
It just made Damon look weak in my eyes.... I hate that...
I can’t wait for more thank you for writing this out...
I hope someday someone is says no the same to me about the stories and characters that haunt my thoughts and dreams...
Nov.1 '19
I was recently remind of this review.... While I stand by my feelings towards this first story,I like my stories and relationships fairly straight forward. When I looked a ahead and saw and have seen what comes after this ? I won't use the word "convoluted", I van't because I haven't read them ,only researched them but. But for a series that started soo well for me,it took off in directions that baffled and confused me. The heroine going off and spending more time alone than w/her men .in
dream worlds and fantasies. This is the writers vision and story to tell but sadly what the want to tell isn't always what we want to read. I'm adding this because, because it made me sad to be reminded of a book/series that had started off w/soo much promise for me only to end soo quickly.
If unlike me you enjoy what comes next I wish you well and I'm glad your still having a good time.
I just wish this had been a journey I could have enjoyed w/you...
Want to read
November 14, 2024🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/21/2019)! 🎁
August 5, 2024
There were so many errors it was funny but, idk what some of you were complaining about.
It's a good story.
When she sang that song, I cried.
Bite me. It was a good start.
It's a good story.
When she sang that song, I cried.
Bite me. It was a good start.
Read
December 15, 2025DNF @31%
On page OW scenes with MMC, not what I was expecting from this author.
On page OW scenes with MMC, not what I was expecting from this author.
May 29, 2019
MAJOR SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
I really liked this book. It had a great blend of plot and character development. It also had this mystery aspect that I loved. I enjoyed trying to figure out what Eva was and why she is the way she is. I also liked the little hints that were dropped about the guys being supernaturals as well.
Eva- One thing that I think is incredibly unique about this book is Eva herself. People are naturally drawn to her and she has this otherworldly appeal. It isn't because she's some special snow flake (like many others books in this genre and others) and everyone wants her for no apparent reason other than she is a said special snow flake. Instead, its because she's clearly not from our world and there is actual reasoning behind everyone being drawn to her. I'm curious to find out what she is (though I have my theories) and how she will deal with it.
Damon- Damon shocked me a little bit because he had a completely different personality than what I was expecting. I thought he would be cocky, arrogant, and dark. Instead, he was funny and sweet and that just made his character so appealing to me.
Mason- I like Mason... I just want a little bit more development from him. His chapters with Eva felt short and I want to see their relationship grow some more.
Beckham- Well.... He knows how to make an entrance doesn't he? I. WANT. MORE.
Eric- I really liked Eric at first, but he's gone to the extremely creepy side. He's flat out obsessed with Eva and it's going to be a giant problem. I'M CALLING IT NOW!
The Andersons- Reading as many books as I do, I tend to think that I've seen it all. And then a couple of people like the Andersons show up and that gets completely thrown out the window. Those two people were absolutely despicable and I just can't comprehend their level of evil. Especially toward someone as sweet and gentle as Eva.
The Reverend- The Reverend really creeped my out and I just know that we haven't seen the last of him. Someone giving off that many stalker vibes doesn't just go away.
Overall, I really liked this book and I will certainly be continuing the series. After that cliffhanger, I couldn't imagine doing anything else!
I really liked this book. It had a great blend of plot and character development. It also had this mystery aspect that I loved. I enjoyed trying to figure out what Eva was and why she is the way she is. I also liked the little hints that were dropped about the guys being supernaturals as well.
Eva- One thing that I think is incredibly unique about this book is Eva herself. People are naturally drawn to her and she has this otherworldly appeal. It isn't because she's some special snow flake (like many others books in this genre and others) and everyone wants her for no apparent reason other than she is a said special snow flake. Instead, its because she's clearly not from our world and there is actual reasoning behind everyone being drawn to her. I'm curious to find out what she is (though I have my theories) and how she will deal with it.
Damon- Damon shocked me a little bit because he had a completely different personality than what I was expecting. I thought he would be cocky, arrogant, and dark. Instead, he was funny and sweet and that just made his character so appealing to me.
Mason- I like Mason... I just want a little bit more development from him. His chapters with Eva felt short and I want to see their relationship grow some more.
Beckham- Well.... He knows how to make an entrance doesn't he? I. WANT. MORE.
Eric- I really liked Eric at first, but he's gone to the extremely creepy side. He's flat out obsessed with Eva and it's going to be a giant problem. I'M CALLING IT NOW!
The Andersons- Reading as many books as I do, I tend to think that I've seen it all. And then a couple of people like the Andersons show up and that gets completely thrown out the window. Those two people were absolutely despicable and I just can't comprehend their level of evil. Especially toward someone as sweet and gentle as Eva.
The Reverend- The Reverend really creeped my out and I just know that we haven't seen the last of him. Someone giving off that many stalker vibes doesn't just go away.
Overall, I really liked this book and I will certainly be continuing the series. After that cliffhanger, I couldn't imagine doing anything else!
April 29, 2018
Seriously?
How in the hell does this book have so many good reviews? I got 50% of the way through and I couldn’t make myself read anymore. The author obviously doesn’t know English very well because there were typo’s galore. Does she not know how to use a freaking question mark? Every time anyone spoke it ended in a comma even if they were asking a question. The main character is probably the worst part about this story. She isn’t relatable AT ALL. Of course she’s perfect and every one stares at her and she gets free things wherever she goes, but of course she’s blissfully ignorant to it. Oh and she’s perfect at everything she tries too. Effortlessly. Which really bothers me because where is the personal growth that she should go through?? Where is the character building?? The fact that this is a “#1 best seller” seriously makes me wonder who exactly is reading this book. I would give it zero stars if I could.
How in the hell does this book have so many good reviews? I got 50% of the way through and I couldn’t make myself read anymore. The author obviously doesn’t know English very well because there were typo’s galore. Does she not know how to use a freaking question mark? Every time anyone spoke it ended in a comma even if they were asking a question. The main character is probably the worst part about this story. She isn’t relatable AT ALL. Of course she’s perfect and every one stares at her and she gets free things wherever she goes, but of course she’s blissfully ignorant to it. Oh and she’s perfect at everything she tries too. Effortlessly. Which really bothers me because where is the personal growth that she should go through?? Where is the character building?? The fact that this is a “#1 best seller” seriously makes me wonder who exactly is reading this book. I would give it zero stars if I could.
April 24, 2019
4.5 rounded up
The blurb does not do this book justice, it reads far better than the brief description implies. Eva is spectacular - and so wondrously oblivious as to herself and her affect on others. The guys that crop up, beings we are not fully privy to as of yet, are each unique in their own way, leading scenes and pulling the narrative ever forward, though they also seem jaded and as selfish as long lived souls are wont to be.
Pros:
- Fresh and unique.
- World building is startling and hints at far more.
- Dang Cliffhanger.
- Despite Some mean girls, Eva meets some nice women too.
Cons:
- Not much is shown of the college, no classes, etc.
- A few editing snags, exp: must is used in place of most in a few places.
The blurb does not do this book justice, it reads far better than the brief description implies. Eva is spectacular - and so wondrously oblivious as to herself and her affect on others. The guys that crop up, beings we are not fully privy to as of yet, are each unique in their own way, leading scenes and pulling the narrative ever forward, though they also seem jaded and as selfish as long lived souls are wont to be.
Pros:
- Fresh and unique.
- World building is startling and hints at far more.
- Dang Cliffhanger.
- Despite Some mean girls, Eva meets some nice women too.
Cons:
- Not much is shown of the college, no classes, etc.
- A few editing snags, exp: must is used in place of most in a few places.
September 5, 2018
KU
This is a fairly typical YA paranormal romance with usual trimmings. Doesn’t remember parents, cruel foster home, scholarship away, sexy, popular bad boys. All in good fun.
This is a fairly typical YA paranormal romance with usual trimmings. Doesn’t remember parents, cruel foster home, scholarship away, sexy, popular bad boys. All in good fun.
May 22, 2018
3,5 stars * rating
I thought it was a Interesting concept, the story pulled me in and i liked it even tho this book leaves us with a chliffhanger
But should we talk bout the characters, our MC was so so so naive and sometimes i felt like she was smart enough to make good decisions and be aware that she gets all of the guys she meets attention and that everyone looks at her cuz shes a perfect beauty. And she was not clueless when girls acted like bitches and when Eric and the guys flirted. But in a lot of moments she was so stupid or ignorant aka naive af... sigh
And a lot of the guys came out like creeps i mean Damon stated that he actually stalked her... and they come out as very possessive . But Yeah we will see that happens in the next book
#marysue
Anyways i am still looking forward to continue this series and i really need it know!!!
I thought it was a Interesting concept, the story pulled me in and i liked it even tho this book leaves us with a chliffhanger
But should we talk bout the characters, our MC was so so so naive and sometimes i felt like she was smart enough to make good decisions and be aware that she gets all of the guys she meets attention and that everyone looks at her cuz shes a perfect beauty. And she was not clueless when girls acted like bitches and when Eric and the guys flirted. But in a lot of moments she was so stupid or ignorant aka naive af... sigh
And a lot of the guys came out like creeps i mean Damon stated that he actually stalked her... and they come out as very possessive . But Yeah we will see that happens in the next book
#marysue
Anyways i am still looking forward to continue this series and i really need it know!!!
March 9, 2023
Das war leider gar nichts für mich.
Fand es sehr trocken und steif zu lesen.
Kam überhaupt nicht in die Geschichte und wurde mit Eva auch null warm.
Fands auch anstrengend mit all den Typen mitzuhalten und die auseinander zu halten.
Hatte für mich auch einfach nichts was mich an die Geschichte gefesselt hat.
Eva ist ein Waisenkind und hat es mit ihrer Pflegefamilie absolut nicht leicht - dann läuft sie davon, weil sie an einem College angenommen wurde obwohl sie sich nicht beworben hat - alle Männer verlieben sich in sie und sind von ihr besessen - während sie das normal findet?
Das sie das scheinbar nicht hinterfragt versteh ich null.
Das Buch ist auch sehr kurz, deshalb passiert das alles in sehr kurzer Zeit was es für mich nicht besser gemacht hat.
Zumindest hab ich es jetzt gelesen und es liegt nicht weiterhin am SuB.
Fand es sehr trocken und steif zu lesen.
Kam überhaupt nicht in die Geschichte und wurde mit Eva auch null warm.
Fands auch anstrengend mit all den Typen mitzuhalten und die auseinander zu halten.
Hatte für mich auch einfach nichts was mich an die Geschichte gefesselt hat.
Eva ist ein Waisenkind und hat es mit ihrer Pflegefamilie absolut nicht leicht - dann läuft sie davon, weil sie an einem College angenommen wurde obwohl sie sich nicht beworben hat - alle Männer verlieben sich in sie und sind von ihr besessen - während sie das normal findet?
Das sie das scheinbar nicht hinterfragt versteh ich null.
Das Buch ist auch sehr kurz, deshalb passiert das alles in sehr kurzer Zeit was es für mich nicht besser gemacht hat.
Zumindest hab ich es jetzt gelesen und es liegt nicht weiterhin am SuB.
December 6, 2025
Locked In
I immediately loved how the storyline had me locked in quickly. I was curious about Eva and her story. Mason and Damon are excellent additions as well. I love reverse harem but love it even more when it includes world building. So much mystery surrounding the characters and the cliffhanger will for sure walk you into book 2. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys world building and reverse harem. I gave this book 5 stars because it had me at hello from the first chapter all the way to the end.
I immediately loved how the storyline had me locked in quickly. I was curious about Eva and her story. Mason and Damon are excellent additions as well. I love reverse harem but love it even more when it includes world building. So much mystery surrounding the characters and the cliffhanger will for sure walk you into book 2. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys world building and reverse harem. I gave this book 5 stars because it had me at hello from the first chapter all the way to the end.
March 22, 2018
I need more!!
March 21, 2018
Eva has always had this strange pull on people. It's why her foster parents locked her away. Finally she has her chance to escape. Somehow, she's been accepted into Rothmore College on a full scholarship. She just has to get there. Once she does, she finds herself in a whole new world. Finally free, she starts to make new friends and learn new things. Can she really trust these new people in her life though?
This is the first book in The Fated Wings series and I was very intrigued by it. Eva is a bit of an odd duck. She's been locked away for so long that she's not up on social cues. She doesn't seem to notice the amount of attention she gets or when she does, she doesn't understand why. She meets Damon, the football star, who is drawn to her. While he's a bit obsessive, he's trying to play it cool and takes things slow. Mason pops in next. He's the rockstar. Meeting Eva turns his world upside down. Then there's Beckham. We only get to meet him for a second but boy does he make an impression! I will say this as a small warning for some, these boys are not innocent little angels when she meets them. They are downright dirty rotten scoundrels when it comes to women. However, Eva seems to be the thing to tame these wild boys.
So we know that the guys are some type of paranormal. We just don't know what. We know that they are best friends who like to live in the spotlight and soak up all the attention they can get. That they've been around for a very long time. Everything else is all a mystery. One that I hope we will unlock in the next book after that jaw dropping ending.
I think this was a good start to this new, slow burn, paranormal series. Another one where the ending has you screaming for the next book.
This is the first book in The Fated Wings series and I was very intrigued by it. Eva is a bit of an odd duck. She's been locked away for so long that she's not up on social cues. She doesn't seem to notice the amount of attention she gets or when she does, she doesn't understand why. She meets Damon, the football star, who is drawn to her. While he's a bit obsessive, he's trying to play it cool and takes things slow. Mason pops in next. He's the rockstar. Meeting Eva turns his world upside down. Then there's Beckham. We only get to meet him for a second but boy does he make an impression! I will say this as a small warning for some, these boys are not innocent little angels when she meets them. They are downright dirty rotten scoundrels when it comes to women. However, Eva seems to be the thing to tame these wild boys.
So we know that the guys are some type of paranormal. We just don't know what. We know that they are best friends who like to live in the spotlight and soak up all the attention they can get. That they've been around for a very long time. Everything else is all a mystery. One that I hope we will unlock in the next book after that jaw dropping ending.
I think this was a good start to this new, slow burn, paranormal series. Another one where the ending has you screaming for the next book.
October 14, 2020
Meh.
The Eva has spent 11 of her 17 years in the foster system. 4 of those years were spent partly in and out of an attic.
She's supposed to be brilliant enough to finish school early and start college courses, and get a full ride scholarship to THE most prestigious college in the country... But she couldn't figure out a way to get out of her situation.
She doesn't question her super healing power. She doesn't really think much at all.
Of course she's perfect in every single way, she went from being a shut in to stunning people into giving her free things. She's the best cheerleader on the team simply by thinking about it. And apparently she's making $700 a night as a waitress.
Don't forget that miss scholarship never once goes to class or studies.
Don't even get me started on the guys. Eric, Damon and Mason. All three dating "bimbos with fake boobs". Oh, and all three of them dropped those women for Eva, even though Mason was in a pretty long term relationship.
I really wanted to love this book. The storyline had so much promise.
One look and BAM! Bye bye girlfriend!
The only positive was that at least it was a short read.
The Eva has spent 11 of her 17 years in the foster system. 4 of those years were spent partly in and out of an attic.
She's supposed to be brilliant enough to finish school early and start college courses, and get a full ride scholarship to THE most prestigious college in the country... But she couldn't figure out a way to get out of her situation.
She doesn't question her super healing power. She doesn't really think much at all.
Of course she's perfect in every single way, she went from being a shut in to stunning people into giving her free things. She's the best cheerleader on the team simply by thinking about it. And apparently she's making $700 a night as a waitress.
Don't forget that miss scholarship never once goes to class or studies.
Don't even get me started on the guys. Eric, Damon and Mason. All three dating "bimbos with fake boobs". Oh, and all three of them dropped those women for Eva, even though Mason was in a pretty long term relationship.
I really wanted to love this book. The storyline had so much promise.
One look and BAM! Bye bye girlfriend!
The only positive was that at least it was a short read.
May 13, 2018
I hate waiting for the next in a series when the book is so good
Brilliant book, I need to read more, but I hate the wait for the next in the series. I tend not to read series when all aren’t released so am gutted I have a wait now until the next one. Saying that though, it is brilliant! Can’t eat enough of all of the characters...
Brilliant book, I need to read more, but I hate the wait for the next in the series. I tend not to read series when all aren’t released so am gutted I have a wait now until the next one. Saying that though, it is brilliant! Can’t eat enough of all of the characters...
August 28, 2018
This is really an amazing first book for any author. Of course there are things that can be improved... but honestly... I was sucked in quickly and can’t stop reading the second one. Work? Other pressing matters I need to attend to? Nah- I need to finish this series first! Kudos to C.R. Jane for taking the plunge and writing something so easy and addicting to read.
June 22, 2018
-5 if I could
I can’t believe I actually read the whole book. I kept thinking maybe it gets better but Nope, It didn’t. Whoever gave this book 5 stars is probably 12 and is as naive as Eva.
I can’t believe I actually read the whole book. I kept thinking maybe it gets better but Nope, It didn’t. Whoever gave this book 5 stars is probably 12 and is as naive as Eva.
July 5, 2021
Before we get started, C.R. Jane, this is going to be brutally honest and maybe a little rough to read, but you ask for reviews and if this helps you elevate your writing then everybody wins.
OK this is really a 2.5 but I rounded up. That said I'll probably read book 2.
I was so excited for this book, and so disappointed by what I actually got. Let's look at the description.
Eva Taylor has been locked in an attic for 4 years.
Failed by the foster system, and left in the hands of a woman who hates her, and a man who wants her, Eva has given up hope of ever having a life. *Ooo sounds like the Ghostbird and Scarab Beetle series, love them, I'm excited.*
When she finds a mysterious letter from Rothmore College addressed to her in the trash, Eva's future suddenly comes alive. * so we've got a Harry Potter situation going on here, I liked HP and it had some success as a series, so ok* Now all she has to do is figure out a way to escape her attic prison, make her way across the country to New York City, and figure out all the things that point to the fact that she isn't exactly normal...*common theme for paranormal romance, so this is a paranormal romance reverse harem? Score!*
Along the way Eva meets new friends, explores new places, and stumbles across three beautiful, charismatic, and alarmingly otherworldly men. Do they hold the key to Eva discovering who she really is, or are they just good at first impressions? *blah blah blah. Honestly this paragraph adds nothing and should be cut from the book description.*
The non spoiler review for anyone considering if they want to read this, I just couldn't connect to Eva, and from the description you should be able to, she is an abused orphan for gosh sakes! But I don't like Eva, and honestly the guys are kinda jerks too, but I have to get into it to explain, so stop reading if you don't want to know anything else.
Are you still reading? Do you want to know what happens in the book, because if you keep reading you are going to know what happens. OK, you've been warned.
So the book opens with Eva locked in her foster family's attic attending online school because her foster mom thinks she is little whore from the looks she draws from men so locking her away and beating her is how to deal with this. OK this is a strong ghost bird vibe but you see some overlap and influences from other books. Life is bleak, her foster mom hacking off her hair and it growing back overnight, locked away in an attic with no hope until she finds a college acceptance letter in the trash, you know like when Harry's letters to Hogwarts kept getting thrown out, and speaking of Harry, remember how his hair always grew back when Aunt Petunia hacks it off. Eva then explains to us how her foster parents realized she healed instantly when they beat her so they took this as license to beat her to near death often making sneaking off to college her only hope. I feel like I've read this exact scenario in another paranormal RH, oh I have, that is exactly what happened in Born of Embers.
So now we have a fairly boring sections where Jane needs to skip ahead four months while having Eva save up money to get from Illinois to New York all the while locked in the attic. Jane does this with some agonizing writing about Eva sneaking out of her room to steal small amounts of money at a time, her foster parents getting suspicious, and almost getting caught on her way out. Jane made the point of noting the foster parents kept large stacks of money in the house because they prefer cash. You could get Eva the money with the same risk by having her say, I spent the next several weeks sneaking around the house in the few hours when they both were asleep, foster mom being a night owl and foster dad an early riser I was only safe to conduct my search a few hours each night. I knew they kept cash hidden around the house but I didn't know where, and if I was going to make it to NYC I was going to need money. Orientation was a week long and started August 15th, with the forms open for move in the week before. I couldn't look up the bus schedule, everything but Wikipedia, the library website, and my online high-school was blocked on the computer I was allowed to use, but I figured it would take a few days to get there, so my plan was to sneak out on the 5th. Foster parents must have sensed a change in me because they started changing their pattern, sleeping with the door open, staying up later and getting up earlier. The 5th came and went. I wasn't able to get out and I was getting more anxious. Finally my break came four days after my intended departure when.... Now you aren't slogging the reader through mundane stuff but you still have the risk.
OK, so next bone of contention there is so much contradiction. Eva is the innocent, meek, blank slate who does things so as not to be seen as rude, can't figure out that guys are attracted to her or that women tend to look at her with disdain, and is awed by restaurants, but she use to explore the streets of Chicago, had normal, all be it poor, foster families for years prior to her abusive family, knows that Damion will be no good for her despite having no dating experience or access to material that would explain f***boys to her. She is terrified of being found by her foster parents because she is still a minor, but goes to the grammies. Mason doesn't want anyone to know who she is but brings her to a club, sings karaoke on stage with her, and is taking her to the grammies.
And let's talk about Mason and Damion for a second. They aren't any better than Eric. All three guys are obsessively enamored worth her. All three guys put their wants and needs in front of hers. Eric the Cillian outside of the harem is jealous and possessive and there is some physically aggressive behavior yet he doesn't look like any worse of a choice than Damion and Mason who, like Eric, drop the girls they have been dating at the sight of Eva. Douches. Yes I get its love at first sight and a mystical connection but why on earth would any girl want to date one of these guy's. The guy could be freaking Thor, or his real life embodiment of Chris Hemsworth, and if he acted like this any girl in her right mind is going to walk away and want nothing to do with him. And dont even get me started on Damion's plan to get her kicked out of the dorm so she has to live with him, like she isn't going to find that out and break up with him temporarily in a future book.
And then there are some nitpicky things like Eva's internal thoughts being written in quotes instead of italics, or Eva says we get a hotel near the Grammys instead of the house he normally stays at. Eva wouldn't know that, she needs to say Mason apologized and said we would be staying at a hotel instead of the home he uses in California bc... also Eva will just get done telling the guys she isn't going to share anything about herself, and the next page the guy in question knows some deep dark secret like she had bad foster situations, something should wouldn't share.
Oh, and then there is the part about her magically getting into the best country in the college despite not applying or taking any entrance exams. OK this is clearly the work of someone else or something paranormal but Eva should still be a little more shocked by this. She should be excited too go because this is her chance, but waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the school to figure out their error.
It's a great premise, it's just poorly excited, and Jane needs to be ok with making book 1 a little longer so she can flush out the characters and make the connections so the readers are hooked and in love and foaming to get more.
OK this is really a 2.5 but I rounded up. That said I'll probably read book 2.
I was so excited for this book, and so disappointed by what I actually got. Let's look at the description.
Eva Taylor has been locked in an attic for 4 years.
Failed by the foster system, and left in the hands of a woman who hates her, and a man who wants her, Eva has given up hope of ever having a life. *Ooo sounds like the Ghostbird and Scarab Beetle series, love them, I'm excited.*
When she finds a mysterious letter from Rothmore College addressed to her in the trash, Eva's future suddenly comes alive. * so we've got a Harry Potter situation going on here, I liked HP and it had some success as a series, so ok* Now all she has to do is figure out a way to escape her attic prison, make her way across the country to New York City, and figure out all the things that point to the fact that she isn't exactly normal...*common theme for paranormal romance, so this is a paranormal romance reverse harem? Score!*
Along the way Eva meets new friends, explores new places, and stumbles across three beautiful, charismatic, and alarmingly otherworldly men. Do they hold the key to Eva discovering who she really is, or are they just good at first impressions? *blah blah blah. Honestly this paragraph adds nothing and should be cut from the book description.*
The non spoiler review for anyone considering if they want to read this, I just couldn't connect to Eva, and from the description you should be able to, she is an abused orphan for gosh sakes! But I don't like Eva, and honestly the guys are kinda jerks too, but I have to get into it to explain, so stop reading if you don't want to know anything else.
Are you still reading? Do you want to know what happens in the book, because if you keep reading you are going to know what happens. OK, you've been warned.
So the book opens with Eva locked in her foster family's attic attending online school because her foster mom thinks she is little whore from the looks she draws from men so locking her away and beating her is how to deal with this. OK this is a strong ghost bird vibe but you see some overlap and influences from other books. Life is bleak, her foster mom hacking off her hair and it growing back overnight, locked away in an attic with no hope until she finds a college acceptance letter in the trash, you know like when Harry's letters to Hogwarts kept getting thrown out, and speaking of Harry, remember how his hair always grew back when Aunt Petunia hacks it off. Eva then explains to us how her foster parents realized she healed instantly when they beat her so they took this as license to beat her to near death often making sneaking off to college her only hope. I feel like I've read this exact scenario in another paranormal RH, oh I have, that is exactly what happened in Born of Embers.
So now we have a fairly boring sections where Jane needs to skip ahead four months while having Eva save up money to get from Illinois to New York all the while locked in the attic. Jane does this with some agonizing writing about Eva sneaking out of her room to steal small amounts of money at a time, her foster parents getting suspicious, and almost getting caught on her way out. Jane made the point of noting the foster parents kept large stacks of money in the house because they prefer cash. You could get Eva the money with the same risk by having her say, I spent the next several weeks sneaking around the house in the few hours when they both were asleep, foster mom being a night owl and foster dad an early riser I was only safe to conduct my search a few hours each night. I knew they kept cash hidden around the house but I didn't know where, and if I was going to make it to NYC I was going to need money. Orientation was a week long and started August 15th, with the forms open for move in the week before. I couldn't look up the bus schedule, everything but Wikipedia, the library website, and my online high-school was blocked on the computer I was allowed to use, but I figured it would take a few days to get there, so my plan was to sneak out on the 5th. Foster parents must have sensed a change in me because they started changing their pattern, sleeping with the door open, staying up later and getting up earlier. The 5th came and went. I wasn't able to get out and I was getting more anxious. Finally my break came four days after my intended departure when.... Now you aren't slogging the reader through mundane stuff but you still have the risk.
OK, so next bone of contention there is so much contradiction. Eva is the innocent, meek, blank slate who does things so as not to be seen as rude, can't figure out that guys are attracted to her or that women tend to look at her with disdain, and is awed by restaurants, but she use to explore the streets of Chicago, had normal, all be it poor, foster families for years prior to her abusive family, knows that Damion will be no good for her despite having no dating experience or access to material that would explain f***boys to her. She is terrified of being found by her foster parents because she is still a minor, but goes to the grammies. Mason doesn't want anyone to know who she is but brings her to a club, sings karaoke on stage with her, and is taking her to the grammies.
And let's talk about Mason and Damion for a second. They aren't any better than Eric. All three guys are obsessively enamored worth her. All three guys put their wants and needs in front of hers. Eric the Cillian outside of the harem is jealous and possessive and there is some physically aggressive behavior yet he doesn't look like any worse of a choice than Damion and Mason who, like Eric, drop the girls they have been dating at the sight of Eva. Douches. Yes I get its love at first sight and a mystical connection but why on earth would any girl want to date one of these guy's. The guy could be freaking Thor, or his real life embodiment of Chris Hemsworth, and if he acted like this any girl in her right mind is going to walk away and want nothing to do with him. And dont even get me started on Damion's plan to get her kicked out of the dorm so she has to live with him, like she isn't going to find that out and break up with him temporarily in a future book.
And then there are some nitpicky things like Eva's internal thoughts being written in quotes instead of italics, or Eva says we get a hotel near the Grammys instead of the house he normally stays at. Eva wouldn't know that, she needs to say Mason apologized and said we would be staying at a hotel instead of the home he uses in California bc... also Eva will just get done telling the guys she isn't going to share anything about herself, and the next page the guy in question knows some deep dark secret like she had bad foster situations, something should wouldn't share.
Oh, and then there is the part about her magically getting into the best country in the college despite not applying or taking any entrance exams. OK this is clearly the work of someone else or something paranormal but Eva should still be a little more shocked by this. She should be excited too go because this is her chance, but waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the school to figure out their error.
It's a great premise, it's just poorly excited, and Jane needs to be ok with making book 1 a little longer so she can flush out the characters and make the connections so the readers are hooked and in love and foaming to get more.
October 14, 2024
Wasn't quite what I expected. I was also a bit confused about Eva's circumstances and confinement in the attic. Like she was a captive, but not? I both liked and hated that Eva, was this perfect, good-at everything, otherworldly stunning girl. The reason for this, is that it makes sense for the story for her to be like that, but somehow the writing or storytelling makes her appear annoying for lack of a better word. Non of the characters are that likeable honestly. The guys are man wh*res (at least Mason and Damon), who are both introduced while getting off with another girl. I wish the author hadn't laid it on as thick, and everyone was introduced by their build, eye and hair color for some reason. Btw, this is an eight book series, but the books are on the shorter side. I admit, I read the first few chapter of the next book, because of that cliff-hanger, but it didn't interest me enough to put in the time to read the whole series.
October 24, 2022
maybe a 1.5/5
There's enough here that it could be a good story but it isn't there yet. No one was really flesh out and none of them seemed like people who would be able for the story trying to be told. The fact the FMC went through so much and yet was... unphased? She was naive and didn't know anything about the real world but she was perfectly fine with everything. The girl was locked in an attic at the beginning, how isn't she messed up a bit more? Freaked out by things and uncomfortable? It made no sense.
I also didn't really like ANY of the men in this. They were all kinda horrible people and incredibly selfish.
There's enough here that it could be a good story but it isn't there yet. No one was really flesh out and none of them seemed like people who would be able for the story trying to be told. The fact the FMC went through so much and yet was... unphased? She was naive and didn't know anything about the real world but she was perfectly fine with everything. The girl was locked in an attic at the beginning, how isn't she messed up a bit more? Freaked out by things and uncomfortable? It made no sense.
I also didn't really like ANY of the men in this. They were all kinda horrible people and incredibly selfish.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews