What do you think?
Rate this book
A New Calling
POWER, OBSESSION, ABUSE, AND CONTROL. SINK INTO THIS HEARTBREAKING CAUTIONARY TALE.
In an attempt to escape an abusive relationship with her father’s closest friend, Alyssa Birch shuns the comfort and isolation of her home in New York to live in England with her estranged mother.
But trouble finds a way of creeping back into her life, and inexplicable events begin to twist her sense of reality.
While juggling a past that won’t leave her alone and a new obsession with the occult, she can’t help falling under the spell of a dangerous man shrouded in mystery and secrets, whose intentions toward Alyssa may be far more sinister than she can imagine.
Gritty, soulful, and unapologetically provocative, A New Calling will keep your eyes on the page, down to the very last word.
In an attempt to escape an abusive relationship with her father’s closest friend, Alyssa Birch shuns the comfort and isolation of her home in New York to live in England with her estranged mother.
But trouble finds a way of creeping back into her life, and inexplicable events begin to twist her sense of reality.
While juggling a past that won’t leave her alone and a new obsession with the occult, she can’t help falling under the spell of a dangerous man shrouded in mystery and secrets, whose intentions toward Alyssa may be far more sinister than she can imagine.
Gritty, soulful, and unapologetically provocative, A New Calling will keep your eyes on the page, down to the very last word.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2021
45 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 15, 2022
First of all I want to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book to read and review. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means a lot.
I find it a little difficult to rate this book. The book had a lot of things which I liked. But there were also a few things I missed, or wished were deepened out more.
A New Calling is the story of Alyssa. The story switches a few times from present to past. At the start we see her as a young teen being in a relationship with her father's best friend Sean. He is quite rough with her.
Then we switch to the present day and Alyssa is arriving in London. She is going to live with her mother. After previously having lived with her very wealthy father. Her mother cleaned out the attic. And it is much cozier that she suspected it to be.
She moved to get rid of Sean and start over again.
I liked that Alyssa is very straight forward. She is feisty, says everything she thinks. Sticks to her believes. Sometimes she comes across quite rude. But I liked that about her.
She also immediately searches for a job to earn her own money.
Her father at the start is really controlling. She doesn't have her phone. And when she hasn't bought a new one after two days. Her father calls Katie, her mother's tennant, and buys her phone - so he can talk to his daughter.
Later on he is more absent.
When she goes to her new school she spots her mother talking to a teacher. And after her interview she walks around, gets angry. And hits a locker with all her might. The teacher whom her mother talked to earlier spots her and ask if she is okay. She is immediately drawn to him. He leans in and he is changing. Red glowing eyes, his canines grow. Is he kissing her neck?
And Alyssa realizes a group of students is watching. She looks again at the teacher and he is back to normal again. And she runs off.
The books balances between Alyssa's day to day life and between super natural occurrences around her and her own abillities. While reading the book I really hoped for a lot more super natural elements.
When I read the blurb I expected more scenes between Alyssa and Damien (the teacher). But those were quite sparse.
And that is something I really, really missed. She is drawn to him. But I never felt that as a reader. I never felt their emotions for each other. She also notices him, but then he is quite far away in her thoughts. She isn't like pondering who is he, why did he change, what is he?
And then there are characters who get quite a lot of 'air-time' but don't feel to be really part of the story. Katie, Douglas, Collins, Elliot. Maybe there roles will be explained more fully in the sequel.
Also there is the storyline of the dance classes. Sam asks her to join. Her older sister Maya seems very reluctant. Who is teaching the lessons. She needs to choose between her job or the dancing lessons. Because she will get baptized. She thinks this is very strange. And then stuff happens and she gets kicked out. But she picked up enough to know it wasn't just a regular dance class.
And it felt very odd she didn't investigate that more. Her normal day to day activities consume her thoughts mostly.
That's what I missed mostly in this book. More deepened out scenes. More character building, more investigation. More longing between the characters. More anguish.
But the storyline between Alyssa and Sean was written really, really strongly. I loved the flashbacks between past and present. How he reeled her in. How she loved him. How he lost her. Where her anger came from. Her reaction to him in London. How much power he still holds over her. How wrong and sickening it was.
SPOILER ALERT: how the tried to force an abortion on her. How she lost her baby. How she longed for that child. How that child still is with her.
Really, really powerful and heartbreaking scenes between the both of them.
I wish the entire book had that cadance, that power. If all scenes were written like that - it would have been a five star book for me.
But I missed that raw emotion that drew me into those scenes in the rest of the book.
The ending of the book is the strongest part. Little things get more explained and more confusing at the same time. Choices are offered upon her. And she needs to make her own choice, follow her own gut.
I loved quickened pace of the last 30 pages or so. And my heart broke with her and for her.
The book is set up perfectly for it's sequel. I truly hope the sequel will be intense, gritty and with more explanation and air time for certain characters. (Damien, Sam, Maya, Elliot, her mother.)
So I will give this book 3.5 stars overall. It's a really enjoyable book and I do recommend it.
P.S:
Of course I must respond the author's love for Twilight! I am 33 years old and read the books shortly after Breaking Dawn was released and I was OBSESSED as well! Some people say now that I am older I see the flaws in the series. I disagree. I am 33 and still madly in love with the entire series. I can read them again and again and I love everything about them!
I am a huge Edward fan as well and HATE the Team Jacob thing. If you read the books closely she only every loved Edward in that regard. Yes she could have been happy with Jacob if Edward left her alone for the rest of her life. But not as happy as with Edward. And when Alice tells her Edward is about to kill himself. There is never one second of doubt in her mind to save him. Edward and Bella all the way! Jake belongs with his Nessie ;). After Midnight Sun was released, my hopes were kinda raised that there could come a book in the future about Renesmee and Jake as well! Fingers crossed! Loved reading your love for Twilight Sylvia Breker! I am right up there with you! <3
I find it a little difficult to rate this book. The book had a lot of things which I liked. But there were also a few things I missed, or wished were deepened out more.
A New Calling is the story of Alyssa. The story switches a few times from present to past. At the start we see her as a young teen being in a relationship with her father's best friend Sean. He is quite rough with her.
Then we switch to the present day and Alyssa is arriving in London. She is going to live with her mother. After previously having lived with her very wealthy father. Her mother cleaned out the attic. And it is much cozier that she suspected it to be.
She moved to get rid of Sean and start over again.
I liked that Alyssa is very straight forward. She is feisty, says everything she thinks. Sticks to her believes. Sometimes she comes across quite rude. But I liked that about her.
She also immediately searches for a job to earn her own money.
Her father at the start is really controlling. She doesn't have her phone. And when she hasn't bought a new one after two days. Her father calls Katie, her mother's tennant, and buys her phone - so he can talk to his daughter.
Later on he is more absent.
When she goes to her new school she spots her mother talking to a teacher. And after her interview she walks around, gets angry. And hits a locker with all her might. The teacher whom her mother talked to earlier spots her and ask if she is okay. She is immediately drawn to him. He leans in and he is changing. Red glowing eyes, his canines grow. Is he kissing her neck?
And Alyssa realizes a group of students is watching. She looks again at the teacher and he is back to normal again. And she runs off.
The books balances between Alyssa's day to day life and between super natural occurrences around her and her own abillities. While reading the book I really hoped for a lot more super natural elements.
When I read the blurb I expected more scenes between Alyssa and Damien (the teacher). But those were quite sparse.
And that is something I really, really missed. She is drawn to him. But I never felt that as a reader. I never felt their emotions for each other. She also notices him, but then he is quite far away in her thoughts. She isn't like pondering who is he, why did he change, what is he?
And then there are characters who get quite a lot of 'air-time' but don't feel to be really part of the story. Katie, Douglas, Collins, Elliot. Maybe there roles will be explained more fully in the sequel.
Also there is the storyline of the dance classes. Sam asks her to join. Her older sister Maya seems very reluctant. Who is teaching the lessons. She needs to choose between her job or the dancing lessons. Because she will get baptized. She thinks this is very strange. And then stuff happens and she gets kicked out. But she picked up enough to know it wasn't just a regular dance class.
And it felt very odd she didn't investigate that more. Her normal day to day activities consume her thoughts mostly.
That's what I missed mostly in this book. More deepened out scenes. More character building, more investigation. More longing between the characters. More anguish.
But the storyline between Alyssa and Sean was written really, really strongly. I loved the flashbacks between past and present. How he reeled her in. How she loved him. How he lost her. Where her anger came from. Her reaction to him in London. How much power he still holds over her. How wrong and sickening it was.
SPOILER ALERT: how the tried to force an abortion on her. How she lost her baby. How she longed for that child. How that child still is with her.
Really, really powerful and heartbreaking scenes between the both of them.
I wish the entire book had that cadance, that power. If all scenes were written like that - it would have been a five star book for me.
But I missed that raw emotion that drew me into those scenes in the rest of the book.
The ending of the book is the strongest part. Little things get more explained and more confusing at the same time. Choices are offered upon her. And she needs to make her own choice, follow her own gut.
I loved quickened pace of the last 30 pages or so. And my heart broke with her and for her.
The book is set up perfectly for it's sequel. I truly hope the sequel will be intense, gritty and with more explanation and air time for certain characters. (Damien, Sam, Maya, Elliot, her mother.)
So I will give this book 3.5 stars overall. It's a really enjoyable book and I do recommend it.
P.S:
Of course I must respond the author's love for Twilight! I am 33 years old and read the books shortly after Breaking Dawn was released and I was OBSESSED as well! Some people say now that I am older I see the flaws in the series. I disagree. I am 33 and still madly in love with the entire series. I can read them again and again and I love everything about them!
I am a huge Edward fan as well and HATE the Team Jacob thing. If you read the books closely she only every loved Edward in that regard. Yes she could have been happy with Jacob if Edward left her alone for the rest of her life. But not as happy as with Edward. And when Alice tells her Edward is about to kill himself. There is never one second of doubt in her mind to save him. Edward and Bella all the way! Jake belongs with his Nessie ;). After Midnight Sun was released, my hopes were kinda raised that there could come a book in the future about Renesmee and Jake as well! Fingers crossed! Loved reading your love for Twilight Sylvia Breker! I am right up there with you! <3
January 4, 2022
I received an ARC ebook of this novel. Thank you so much Sylvian Breker!
The first thing I'd want to share is a TRIGGER warning. If you have experienced sexual abuse, you may find this book triggering.
OK. The good bits:
The book is beautifully written. Some very nice turns of phrase, excellent mood setups, and a strong teenage voice. The mood of the book is so well done, it got under my skin and almost made me want to squirm with the blackness and intensity.
The MC, Alyssa Birch, is sassy and deeply flawed. Her shattered mind, self-loathing and attempts to get her shit together are achingly real. My heart bled for this girl who had been sexually abused for years and thoroughly let down by both her father and mother. For all that, her acidic sass is witty and funny at times, even when it's as prickly AF. Again, understandable with what she's been through.
Her 'own Edward Cullen', Sean, was a creepy, skin-crawling dude. I seriously wanted to reach into the book and smash him. That said, there are a couple of hints that the guy is under some sort of supernatural curse / control. Sadly, we need to wait until the next book to find out more. :-)
The Not So Good Bits:
As always, this is my opinion only.
I found Alyssa difficult to like. I get that she's flawed and has suffered, but I would have loved to have seen some character growth in this book (I'm sure it will come in the next book). She's pretty rude and horrid to everyone, except her deaf friend. From memory, her hearing-impaired friend was the ONLY person she didn't put down or bully.
Alyssa has one redeeming act, but even that was done in a pretty gross way - although, the grossness was very true to character.
We were left at the end of the book with a lot of threads hanging. I do look forward to finding out how this story progresses and ends. I hope Alyssa can find some level of peace.
In summary - if you like characters with sharp tongues, stories with darkness and supernatural happenings and characters, you'll enjoy A New Calling. :-)
The first thing I'd want to share is a TRIGGER warning. If you have experienced sexual abuse, you may find this book triggering.
OK. The good bits:
The book is beautifully written. Some very nice turns of phrase, excellent mood setups, and a strong teenage voice. The mood of the book is so well done, it got under my skin and almost made me want to squirm with the blackness and intensity.
The MC, Alyssa Birch, is sassy and deeply flawed. Her shattered mind, self-loathing and attempts to get her shit together are achingly real. My heart bled for this girl who had been sexually abused for years and thoroughly let down by both her father and mother. For all that, her acidic sass is witty and funny at times, even when it's as prickly AF. Again, understandable with what she's been through.
Her 'own Edward Cullen', Sean, was a creepy, skin-crawling dude. I seriously wanted to reach into the book and smash him. That said, there are a couple of hints that the guy is under some sort of supernatural curse / control. Sadly, we need to wait until the next book to find out more. :-)
The Not So Good Bits:
As always, this is my opinion only.
I found Alyssa difficult to like. I get that she's flawed and has suffered, but I would have loved to have seen some character growth in this book (I'm sure it will come in the next book). She's pretty rude and horrid to everyone, except her deaf friend. From memory, her hearing-impaired friend was the ONLY person she didn't put down or bully.
Alyssa has one redeeming act, but even that was done in a pretty gross way - although, the grossness was very true to character.
We were left at the end of the book with a lot of threads hanging. I do look forward to finding out how this story progresses and ends. I hope Alyssa can find some level of peace.
In summary - if you like characters with sharp tongues, stories with darkness and supernatural happenings and characters, you'll enjoy A New Calling. :-)
Want to read
May 21, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/21/2022)! 🎁
December 29, 2021
A new calling is exactly that, for me,
I want to start my review by saying this genre isn't something that I ever seek out to read but the cover/blurb had me intrigued. And I'm so glad I took the plunge and dived right in.
Firstly, this book is beautifully written. It's a perfect balance between poetic and modern. It was so easy to read and get lost in the characters and thank god because there are some amazing characters to focus on here.
Alyssa, the main character is one feisty MOFO. She is unapologetically flawed and phew she has a lot going on, sometimes so much damage it's hard to comprehend how she can lift her head. But then we're reminded of her resilience through her wit and humor. And ladies and gentlemen there is A LOT of laughs to have here.
Now how about the other characters that have fascinated me.
Sean, a complicated and no doubt damaged man that has a complicated storyline with the MC so be warned if you're susceptible to trigger warnings. Be warned he takes up a good chunk of the book.
Mr Cross- okay so before I get into him he's not really in the book as much as I would have liked especially as the blurb and book cover allude more to him than anyone else but that's my greed coming out. After much deliberation, I think this is a conscious effort to keep us guessing about his intentions but I'm hoping and praying he's in the second book more or I might just combust.
Mr Cross is a thoughtful, handsome 'individual' masked in mystery but he seems to be the only one in Alyssa's life that has pure intentions. I'm excited to see where we go with him.
I won't say more other than I enjoyed this book so much and I'll be the first to get the second!
I want to start my review by saying this genre isn't something that I ever seek out to read but the cover/blurb had me intrigued. And I'm so glad I took the plunge and dived right in.
Firstly, this book is beautifully written. It's a perfect balance between poetic and modern. It was so easy to read and get lost in the characters and thank god because there are some amazing characters to focus on here.
Alyssa, the main character is one feisty MOFO. She is unapologetically flawed and phew she has a lot going on, sometimes so much damage it's hard to comprehend how she can lift her head. But then we're reminded of her resilience through her wit and humor. And ladies and gentlemen there is A LOT of laughs to have here.
Now how about the other characters that have fascinated me.
Sean, a complicated and no doubt damaged man that has a complicated storyline with the MC so be warned if you're susceptible to trigger warnings. Be warned he takes up a good chunk of the book.
Mr Cross- okay so before I get into him he's not really in the book as much as I would have liked especially as the blurb and book cover allude more to him than anyone else but that's my greed coming out. After much deliberation, I think this is a conscious effort to keep us guessing about his intentions but I'm hoping and praying he's in the second book more or I might just combust.
Mr Cross is a thoughtful, handsome 'individual' masked in mystery but he seems to be the only one in Alyssa's life that has pure intentions. I'm excited to see where we go with him.
I won't say more other than I enjoyed this book so much and I'll be the first to get the second!
January 5, 2022
A mixture of real and supernatural horrors
There are supernatural elements in A New Calling but the real horror is the unhealthy relationship the main character, Alyssa, has with an older man. When she flees New York for Great Britain life improves for a bit with new friends, school, and job. But Alyssa finds her past lover refuses to let her go so easily. The supernatural elements are secondary to the main story and are building to the next novel's story. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Alyssa gets into in her future adventures.
There are supernatural elements in A New Calling but the real horror is the unhealthy relationship the main character, Alyssa, has with an older man. When she flees New York for Great Britain life improves for a bit with new friends, school, and job. But Alyssa finds her past lover refuses to let her go so easily. The supernatural elements are secondary to the main story and are building to the next novel's story. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Alyssa gets into in her future adventures.
December 31, 2021
Engaging
Fascinating characters that draw you in and make you want to understand their past and their motivations. Some sections where a modern slang dictionary is useful and others where a masters in philosophy a prerequisite (!) but these didn't detract from my enjoyment or drive to complete the story. Hope book 2 not too far away!
Fascinating characters that draw you in and make you want to understand their past and their motivations. Some sections where a modern slang dictionary is useful and others where a masters in philosophy a prerequisite (!) but these didn't detract from my enjoyment or drive to complete the story. Hope book 2 not too far away!
May 22, 2022
3.5 stars
A big thank you to the author for a free copy of this book. I really appreciate it!
Now, to begin, I’ll admit that reading this book took me longer than most books. It was really difficult for me to speed through it like I normally do because I found that there was much to absorb and try to make sense of.
That aside, the main character, Alyssa, was quite an interesting figure to read about. I loved that she was written well. It was easy to grasp who she was as an individual and her musings were often amusing to follow.
As a person, Alyssa was sassy, often crass, and downright unpredictable. While I tried my best to like her personally, but she simply wasn’t the type of character I could relate to. Nonetheless, I understood her. She’d been groomed for years under her father’s nose, treated like trash by a disgusting, sick b*stard, then belittled as well as abused by this same man she believed to love her.
I admired the MC for the fact that she was opinionated, ever ready to stand her ground and never allowed anyone to push her around or alter what she believed in or stood for. However, her rudeness was uncalled for in many cases. Also, her sexual tendencies were slightly off-putting. It irritated me that she was sometimes selfish and only cared about things that brought her pleasure at the expense of others. Again, I understand her backstory, but it didn’t change the way it made me feel. Nevertheless, she did have the decency to feel guilty for some of her wrongdoings; though those short-lived moments of remorse did not exactly improve her character in the long run.
Back to the novel itself, I will say that the pace of the story changed quite a bit. One second it was slow, the other, faster. Yet, for the most part of the book, I was only left with loads and loads questions. It didn’t seem like we were getting anywhere with all the details being introduced. At a point, I could predict the outcome from her asking questions about what was happening to or around her. The reasons the other characters had for not giving her an answer were not convincing enough for me (Damien’s in particular) especially not when the last major character introduced revealed almost more than the other characters in the book ever did.
Looking back, I wish the pacing and momentum in the ending chapters were reflected in the larger half of the novel. It didn’t help that quite a number of characters were introduced. I though we could do without some of them since they only added more bulk to the story but weren’t always useful in driving the plot forward. However, I believe they may play bigger roles as the series advances.
That said, this was a book that definitely drew me in. The author’s style of writing was great, and I found myself unable to let go of the book despite my reservations. I sure am glad I didn’t; this was a read I truly enjoyed, and it left me wanting more.
Looking forward to the next book!
A big thank you to the author for a free copy of this book. I really appreciate it!
Now, to begin, I’ll admit that reading this book took me longer than most books. It was really difficult for me to speed through it like I normally do because I found that there was much to absorb and try to make sense of.
That aside, the main character, Alyssa, was quite an interesting figure to read about. I loved that she was written well. It was easy to grasp who she was as an individual and her musings were often amusing to follow.
As a person, Alyssa was sassy, often crass, and downright unpredictable. While I tried my best to like her personally, but she simply wasn’t the type of character I could relate to. Nonetheless, I understood her. She’d been groomed for years under her father’s nose, treated like trash by a disgusting, sick b*stard, then belittled as well as abused by this same man she believed to love her.
I admired the MC for the fact that she was opinionated, ever ready to stand her ground and never allowed anyone to push her around or alter what she believed in or stood for. However, her rudeness was uncalled for in many cases. Also, her sexual tendencies were slightly off-putting. It irritated me that she was sometimes selfish and only cared about things that brought her pleasure at the expense of others. Again, I understand her backstory, but it didn’t change the way it made me feel. Nevertheless, she did have the decency to feel guilty for some of her wrongdoings; though those short-lived moments of remorse did not exactly improve her character in the long run.
Back to the novel itself, I will say that the pace of the story changed quite a bit. One second it was slow, the other, faster. Yet, for the most part of the book, I was only left with loads and loads questions. It didn’t seem like we were getting anywhere with all the details being introduced. At a point, I could predict the outcome from her asking questions about what was happening to or around her. The reasons the other characters had for not giving her an answer were not convincing enough for me (Damien’s in particular) especially not when the last major character introduced revealed almost more than the other characters in the book ever did.
Looking back, I wish the pacing and momentum in the ending chapters were reflected in the larger half of the novel. It didn’t help that quite a number of characters were introduced. I though we could do without some of them since they only added more bulk to the story but weren’t always useful in driving the plot forward. However, I believe they may play bigger roles as the series advances.
That said, this was a book that definitely drew me in. The author’s style of writing was great, and I found myself unable to let go of the book despite my reservations. I sure am glad I didn’t; this was a read I truly enjoyed, and it left me wanting more.
Looking forward to the next book!
December 31, 2021
First of all... WOW!!!
This book was absolutely AMAZING (to me)
It definitely was not what I had expected, but it exceeded my expectations.
It was dark, and a little steamy but not too much, the plot was great it was easy to read but the style of writing was spectacular in my opinion.
I will say to keep in mind that the main female character is underage and still in high school, this book definitely pushed a couple of boundaries.
I don't know why but I felt like I related to Alyssa a bit, while she is definitely a bit mature for her age it's not enough to make you forget how old she truly is. She is feisty and bratty and very very impulsive. Our second and third main characters are the "love interests". We have Sean who has known Alyssa her whole life basically and we have Mr. Cross who is one of Alyssa's teachers in the new school she transfers to. There is a pretty large age gap between Alyssa and her love interests but they are quite different from each other. I loved and hated Sean throughout the entire book and I was not sure how to feel about Mr. Cross since we didn't hear from him much in the book. Sean was borderland obsessive and controlling while Mr. Cross was mysterious and seemingly caring.
I was not expecting this to be a series since i dont usually read series that are not completed but i am so glad i read this one because i cannot wait for the second book to come out. I want to see how the relationship with Mr. Cross develops, plus the book ended in a pretty heavy cliff hanger so I will die of anxiety until the second book comes out.
This book was absolutely AMAZING (to me)
It definitely was not what I had expected, but it exceeded my expectations.
It was dark, and a little steamy but not too much, the plot was great it was easy to read but the style of writing was spectacular in my opinion.
I will say to keep in mind that the main female character is underage and still in high school, this book definitely pushed a couple of boundaries.
I don't know why but I felt like I related to Alyssa a bit, while she is definitely a bit mature for her age it's not enough to make you forget how old she truly is. She is feisty and bratty and very very impulsive. Our second and third main characters are the "love interests". We have Sean who has known Alyssa her whole life basically and we have Mr. Cross who is one of Alyssa's teachers in the new school she transfers to. There is a pretty large age gap between Alyssa and her love interests but they are quite different from each other. I loved and hated Sean throughout the entire book and I was not sure how to feel about Mr. Cross since we didn't hear from him much in the book. Sean was borderland obsessive and controlling while Mr. Cross was mysterious and seemingly caring.
I was not expecting this to be a series since i dont usually read series that are not completed but i am so glad i read this one because i cannot wait for the second book to come out. I want to see how the relationship with Mr. Cross develops, plus the book ended in a pretty heavy cliff hanger so I will die of anxiety until the second book comes out.
June 30, 2022
We recently read Hold your heart in pieces by @sylbreker and even though it is not our typical trope we always like to give everything a chance and we are so glad we did !!! Right off the bat please check your trigger warnings before diving in because there is a lot in here that can be hard for some to handle.. now with that said this book is dark but with a vampire/ paranormal feel .. when you get into you will see what we mean .. it doesn’t spell it right out but the events that occur and some characters will have you like ooo yep !!!! The writing in this book was great ! The way the story progresses and seamlessly transitions through everything is amazing!! This story follows a young girl Alyssa who has been through and is still going through some very tough mature situations with no adults she can count on ! and no matter how hard she tries to navigate them herself she just cant seem to get away from everything.. even with moving across the country her past and new evils emerge! We don’t want to give away too much because this really is a journey we feel you need to take and let your mind come to the conclusions .. but we will say the twist and turns, real life changing events, manipulation, dark not of this world aspects and characters will keep you turning these pages and guessing!! You will absolutely hate some and want to hold others !! We are so glad we gave this book a shot and now are impatiently waiting for the next book 🙌🏻 we need answers 🤣
January 13, 2022
The first sentence of this book is pretty much enough to make you go, wait what? Which instantly makes you want to keep reading. Now it's written from the point of view of Alyssa Birch, an underage girl, who wants a new start and decides to go and live with her estranged mother in the UK.
There is a real mixture of characters in this book, and I started off quite fond of the main character Alyssa, but quickly grew a little fed up with her teenage antics. However, she is a teenager after all! One that finds and creates sad chaos wherever she goes. I really liked Elliot and Mr. Cross, and I thought the storyline would focus more around their relationship than Alyssa and Sean's. I'm not going to talk much about Sean, and leave that for future readers to discover. However, I did notice the little comment by another character about him towards the end of the book, very clever.
Let's go straight to the end, because um whoa! The supernatural part really came into play here. There had been little mentions of it throughout, nothing was explained, but there was just enough dialog for you to keep up with what was happening. And then? When everything came really into play? It ended! Ahhh!? Yeah. The perfect way to make us readers want to buy the next book.
There is a real mixture of characters in this book, and I started off quite fond of the main character Alyssa, but quickly grew a little fed up with her teenage antics. However, she is a teenager after all! One that finds and creates sad chaos wherever she goes. I really liked Elliot and Mr. Cross, and I thought the storyline would focus more around their relationship than Alyssa and Sean's. I'm not going to talk much about Sean, and leave that for future readers to discover. However, I did notice the little comment by another character about him towards the end of the book, very clever.
Let's go straight to the end, because um whoa! The supernatural part really came into play here. There had been little mentions of it throughout, nothing was explained, but there was just enough dialog for you to keep up with what was happening. And then? When everything came really into play? It ended! Ahhh!? Yeah. The perfect way to make us readers want to buy the next book.
April 28, 2022
I want to thank Sylvian Breker for gifting me A New Calling in audiobook form and also paperback. Thank you too for your time chatting about the book when I had finished my read.
When I read the synopsis (swipe) I was instantly intrigued and jumped at the opportunity to read New Calling.
This book exceeded my expectations. Some books, you can tell that a lot of work has gone into the crafting, and in my opinion, this is one of those.
Breker seamlessly transgresses genre and style in a creative and thought-provoking cautionary tale about the dark side of love.
Remember when your high school teacher asked you to look for techniques and textual features that the author had woven into a book? Breker elegantly applies intertextuality and literary pastiche in a self-aware and tongue-in-cheek manner that had me listening / reading intently and chuckling to myself when I came across something that I recognised. The book is an onion, as Shrek might say.
A New Calling panged of My Dark Vanessa and gothic horror in equal measure and the eerie tone was set off throughout by the fiesty teenage stream of consciousness of the MC. It is a true blend of classic and contemporary and is beautifully written.
The relationships are complex and you are encouraged to see beyond the MC’s POV throughout.
In keeping with Breker’s style of showing not telling, I won’t give you anything more of the plot. But I have many outstanding questions and I am ready for book two.
If you are after a straightforward YA romance, teen angst or supernatural book, then this isn’t for you.
But, if you enjoyed Bunny or are a fan of gothic style, then I recommend that you try this out.
When I read the synopsis (swipe) I was instantly intrigued and jumped at the opportunity to read New Calling.
This book exceeded my expectations. Some books, you can tell that a lot of work has gone into the crafting, and in my opinion, this is one of those.
Breker seamlessly transgresses genre and style in a creative and thought-provoking cautionary tale about the dark side of love.
Remember when your high school teacher asked you to look for techniques and textual features that the author had woven into a book? Breker elegantly applies intertextuality and literary pastiche in a self-aware and tongue-in-cheek manner that had me listening / reading intently and chuckling to myself when I came across something that I recognised. The book is an onion, as Shrek might say.
A New Calling panged of My Dark Vanessa and gothic horror in equal measure and the eerie tone was set off throughout by the fiesty teenage stream of consciousness of the MC. It is a true blend of classic and contemporary and is beautifully written.
The relationships are complex and you are encouraged to see beyond the MC’s POV throughout.
In keeping with Breker’s style of showing not telling, I won’t give you anything more of the plot. But I have many outstanding questions and I am ready for book two.
If you are after a straightforward YA romance, teen angst or supernatural book, then this isn’t for you.
But, if you enjoyed Bunny or are a fan of gothic style, then I recommend that you try this out.
April 28, 2022
Huge thanks to the author for sharing a promo code with me to listen to her audiobook of A New Calling.
People normally don't want to believe my hate for Twilight and they don't understand what I mean when I say it could've been done so much better. After reading Sylvian Breker I'm now thrilled to say THIS is what I mean.
I hate grey non existing mouses of girls achieving everything without fighting for it, without having any characteristics that would make them interesting. And still, out of nowhere, all the hot supernatural guys are interested in them? Nah.
So I'm so happy to say that I finally found the "romantic" horror fantasy that's right up my alley. It's hot, it's interesting and it doesn't even need vampires.
The main character is a proper and unapologetic bit** and I loved her. She may be very hard to like but if you experienced at least half of the (realistic) life events she had to go through you would understand why she's the way she is.
The fact that there's supernatural elements involved is only an extra bonus in a very captivating story of a teenager who finds herself growing up much quicker that she should and she needs to make life decisions that may or may not ruin her and other people's future.
I only mentioned Twilight because I've seen other reviewers talking about it but this book is very different and explores much more of a supernatural within an individual and their relationship to others.
I may need to reevaluate my opinions on these types of books now. And I really want to know what is coming next for Alyssa.
People normally don't want to believe my hate for Twilight and they don't understand what I mean when I say it could've been done so much better. After reading Sylvian Breker I'm now thrilled to say THIS is what I mean.
I hate grey non existing mouses of girls achieving everything without fighting for it, without having any characteristics that would make them interesting. And still, out of nowhere, all the hot supernatural guys are interested in them? Nah.
So I'm so happy to say that I finally found the "romantic" horror fantasy that's right up my alley. It's hot, it's interesting and it doesn't even need vampires.
The main character is a proper and unapologetic bit** and I loved her. She may be very hard to like but if you experienced at least half of the (realistic) life events she had to go through you would understand why she's the way she is.
The fact that there's supernatural elements involved is only an extra bonus in a very captivating story of a teenager who finds herself growing up much quicker that she should and she needs to make life decisions that may or may not ruin her and other people's future.
I only mentioned Twilight because I've seen other reviewers talking about it but this book is very different and explores much more of a supernatural within an individual and their relationship to others.
I may need to reevaluate my opinions on these types of books now. And I really want to know what is coming next for Alyssa.
January 3, 2022
A New Calling is a heart wrenching and poignant tale of Alyssa Birch. She was living with her dad in US. She was the daughter of Mari Fayr. Being in a family where her dad was American, mom was Australian and grandmother is danish. She was holding dual citizenship. She was too young to understand love in real senses and eventually fell in love but until she realised that, it was too late. In order to escape from her boyfriend, she leaves New York to live with her mother but as soon as he finds out about her, Alyssa’s world becomes more chaotic and complex. It’s definitely for an adult audience and it’s a cautionary read. It involves myriad of emotions and it’s too much to handle.
June 28, 2022
Engrossing, Taboo, Tragic and Haunting!
By: Sylvian Breker
Narrated by: Elena Prince
Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 06-28-22
Things haven’t been easy for Alyssa. She’s never been a priority for either of her parents, and with no one to offer wise council, she gets in over her head in an improper relationship, and things go downhill from there! Hold Your Heart in Pieces is Gothic Romance meets Psychological Thriller with a bit of paranormal tossed in for good measure, and it is fabulous! Well written, with richly drawn, wonderfully defined characters and beautifully narrated, this heartbreaking tale grabbed me, moved me, and deeply affected me. Not for the faint of heart, it really gave me more than a few things to think about. One thing is certain, I will be listening to this one again! Five hauntingly tragic stars!
By: Sylvian Breker
Narrated by: Elena Prince
Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 06-28-22
Things haven’t been easy for Alyssa. She’s never been a priority for either of her parents, and with no one to offer wise council, she gets in over her head in an improper relationship, and things go downhill from there! Hold Your Heart in Pieces is Gothic Romance meets Psychological Thriller with a bit of paranormal tossed in for good measure, and it is fabulous! Well written, with richly drawn, wonderfully defined characters and beautifully narrated, this heartbreaking tale grabbed me, moved me, and deeply affected me. Not for the faint of heart, it really gave me more than a few things to think about. One thing is certain, I will be listening to this one again! Five hauntingly tragic stars!
June 30, 2022
Amazing character building, fingers crossed there will be more to this story I got this book on Audible and finished it in one sitting and plan on giving it another listen in a few days!!
January 9, 2022
A New Calling has some of the unhealthy relationship aspects as well as supernatural . I gave The book 3 stars because The supernatural elements are secondary to the main story and are building to the next novel's story but I had hoped it would of been more included with the main story of the unhealthy controlling relationship aspect. I am looking forward to the second book to see what happens next.
January 9, 2022
Unsettling, darkly funny, with a voice that was both strong and natural which is an unfortunately rare combination.
February 28, 2022
This book is darker than my normal read. It has a very vampire feel to it even though the author never quite spells it out. It is very definitely a duet or possibly more, I can’t quite tell how far Sylvian Breker is going to to go with the storyline. This book is a case in point for why I don’t start new books in the evening. The storyline was gripping and I kept turning the pages trying to figure out what was going on and ended up staying up very late. Poor poor Alyssa, our main character! Her head was just twisted and turned by the number Sean had done on her life. And really it wasn’t just him, her parents had a hand in this mess too. I think as a reader my hope for the next book is to see her a little healed from all this trauma. As to what lies inside her, what Mr. Cross, Maya, and Byron Meier all want from her, I’m still not quite sure. Is she a witch like the one beast called her or is she something else? What I do know is that Mr. Cross and Maya left her helpless, they left her not truly knowing what she was walking into when returned home with her father. I hope there is some payment for that later especially considering what Meier did to her father before he disappeared. Now I will be impatiently waiting for book two in the hopes of good news for Alyssa, who really deserves it at this point.
Content warnings: this work contains profanity, relative descriptions of violence and death, sexual assault, dubious consent, child abuse, physical and emotional abuse, drug misuse, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, and self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.
Content warnings: this work contains profanity, relative descriptions of violence and death, sexual assault, dubious consent, child abuse, physical and emotional abuse, drug misuse, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, and self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.
May 25, 2022
Hold Your Heart in Pieces- Sylvian Breker
4/5 Stars!
Let me start off by saying please check your trigger warnings before diving into this one. I typically lean towards dark romance reads, and I went into this one a bit blind. I ended up having so many mixed emotions about this read it took me a week to sort out my feelings, which inevitably made me decide that I did in fact enjoy it. This book is a reminder that not everything in life is as pretty, polished, or as perfect as it may seem. The girl that throws around jokes and lives life carefree and unapologetic might me the same girl who has demons she can't seem to escape. This was a mix between a story of healing, mystery, magic, toxic love, and a broken family dynamic.
It was a beautifully written story where the MC grew up without a present mother, an overbearing father who was just as absent, and her biggest influence in her life happens to come from an adult she should have been able to trust. That was where some of my discomfort stemmed, but as a reader I can appreciate the raw emotions the author instilled in me by making me squirm in discomfort of a toxic relationship. I found myself crying at one point for everything she must endure and all the life lessons she has to navigate completely on her own. I think at times I found myself disliking the personality of the MC because she's a bit spoiled, a bit rude, and a bit careless. As the story progressed though I found myself instead having a lot of empathy for her as I realized a lot of her character flaws stem from the need to lash out from hurt and loneliness. I hope we will get to see more character growth from her in the future, and also a bit more elaboration on the mystery and magic that is seen throughout this book.
This book is good for readers who like something raw and emotional with a small hint of fantasy and mystery intertwined throughout. If you want something to stir emotions in you for all the cruelty and unfairness the world harbors than you might be intrigued by this read.
4/5 Stars!
Let me start off by saying please check your trigger warnings before diving into this one. I typically lean towards dark romance reads, and I went into this one a bit blind. I ended up having so many mixed emotions about this read it took me a week to sort out my feelings, which inevitably made me decide that I did in fact enjoy it. This book is a reminder that not everything in life is as pretty, polished, or as perfect as it may seem. The girl that throws around jokes and lives life carefree and unapologetic might me the same girl who has demons she can't seem to escape. This was a mix between a story of healing, mystery, magic, toxic love, and a broken family dynamic.
It was a beautifully written story where the MC grew up without a present mother, an overbearing father who was just as absent, and her biggest influence in her life happens to come from an adult she should have been able to trust. That was where some of my discomfort stemmed, but as a reader I can appreciate the raw emotions the author instilled in me by making me squirm in discomfort of a toxic relationship. I found myself crying at one point for everything she must endure and all the life lessons she has to navigate completely on her own. I think at times I found myself disliking the personality of the MC because she's a bit spoiled, a bit rude, and a bit careless. As the story progressed though I found myself instead having a lot of empathy for her as I realized a lot of her character flaws stem from the need to lash out from hurt and loneliness. I hope we will get to see more character growth from her in the future, and also a bit more elaboration on the mystery and magic that is seen throughout this book.
This book is good for readers who like something raw and emotional with a small hint of fantasy and mystery intertwined throughout. If you want something to stir emotions in you for all the cruelty and unfairness the world harbors than you might be intrigued by this read.
November 30, 2022
This review was originally posted at http://bit.ly/3AY9XGC.
Alyssa has had everything a girl could want. Her dad made sure she had access to whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it. That is unless the thing she wanted was attention. After lashing out in school her friendly relationship with her father's best friend leads to something more. Amusing how the thing that she wanted so much is what led her to leave New York and travel to the UK to live with her mother. Since she's been here strange things are happening. Instances that couldn't have existed, healing dance, and so much more. But Sean isn't ready to let her go just like that.
I received a copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review. The book starts out okay. We know it is extreme age gap, but at the time of starting the book she is of legal age of consent so I didn't think too much of it. The more the book progressed the closer I got to DNF'ing the book. There is rape and sexual assault on a minor. A lot of it. Alyssa may not see it that way, but the more distance she get's from Sean the more that fact will become clear to her.
If you take out this horrendous and large portion of the book it is enjoyable. There are implied werewolves and witchcraft. Both of which are things I enjoy reading about. I can't say I am sorry for how the book ended. That was a cycle that wasn't going to sort itself. I hope she is able to tell her dad eventually and he responds correctly.
I enjoyed the dance studio sessions and if the book was more about that as well as what happened during baptism I'd probably have enjoyed it much more. As it stands I highly doubt I'll ever read another by this author. Definitely wasn't a great introduction to their work for me.
Alyssa has had everything a girl could want. Her dad made sure she had access to whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it. That is unless the thing she wanted was attention. After lashing out in school her friendly relationship with her father's best friend leads to something more. Amusing how the thing that she wanted so much is what led her to leave New York and travel to the UK to live with her mother. Since she's been here strange things are happening. Instances that couldn't have existed, healing dance, and so much more. But Sean isn't ready to let her go just like that.
I received a copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review. The book starts out okay. We know it is extreme age gap, but at the time of starting the book she is of legal age of consent so I didn't think too much of it. The more the book progressed the closer I got to DNF'ing the book. There is rape and sexual assault on a minor. A lot of it. Alyssa may not see it that way, but the more distance she get's from Sean the more that fact will become clear to her.
If you take out this horrendous and large portion of the book it is enjoyable. There are implied werewolves and witchcraft. Both of which are things I enjoy reading about. I can't say I am sorry for how the book ended. That was a cycle that wasn't going to sort itself. I hope she is able to tell her dad eventually and he responds correctly.
I enjoyed the dance studio sessions and if the book was more about that as well as what happened during baptism I'd probably have enjoyed it much more. As it stands I highly doubt I'll ever read another by this author. Definitely wasn't a great introduction to their work for me.
May 12, 2022
Trying to escape a toxic relationship, Alyssa flees to England to go and live with her mother. Once there, she just can’t seem to avoid trouble and ends up wrapped up in a mystery group and leaving her with more questions than answers. But when her past comes back to haunt her, she it causes her to realize new things about herself and drive her deeper into a society she doesn’t understand.
•Dark and has some hard to listen to scenes about what Alyssa went through.
•I was not anticipating super natural elements. Took me by surprise.
•Told with flash backs to the past.
I was gifted the audio of A New Calling by Sylivie Brekker and went into it mostly blind. It had some really interesting moments I don’t feel like I really connected to the story. The females MC, Alyssa, was really hard to like and I get that she was super broken but just hard to relate to. I was intrigued by the supernatural elements but don’t really feeling I got enough answers to understand what was happening. I think more detail will likely be given to develop that storyline in the next book. This one mostly focused on the toxic relationship. I’m not sure that I’ll be continuing the series but was happy to give it try!
•Dark and has some hard to listen to scenes about what Alyssa went through.
•I was not anticipating super natural elements. Took me by surprise.
•Told with flash backs to the past.
I was gifted the audio of A New Calling by Sylivie Brekker and went into it mostly blind. It had some really interesting moments I don’t feel like I really connected to the story. The females MC, Alyssa, was really hard to like and I get that she was super broken but just hard to relate to. I was intrigued by the supernatural elements but don’t really feeling I got enough answers to understand what was happening. I think more detail will likely be given to develop that storyline in the next book. This one mostly focused on the toxic relationship. I’m not sure that I’ll be continuing the series but was happy to give it try!
August 13, 2022
held my heart tightly
It was a while ago since I bought this. When I got to it on my to-be-read list I was going to look it up to find out what it was about, but decided not to, to read it cold out of the block. I'm glad I did. I felt I knew where it was going, when, whoa - it took me in a completely different direction. I recommend this.
It was a while ago since I bought this. When I got to it on my to-be-read list I was going to look it up to find out what it was about, but decided not to, to read it cold out of the block. I'm glad I did. I felt I knew where it was going, when, whoa - it took me in a completely different direction. I recommend this.
July 31, 2022
Pretty good!
I actually liked this book, though I usually don't like witchy books. It kept my attention and made me want to read the next one.
I actually liked this book, though I usually don't like witchy books. It kept my attention and made me want to read the next one.
September 25, 2023
Liked it, want to read the next one!!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews