Providence

Providence #1

by Jamie McGuire

In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth. Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect. When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Angels, New Adult, Paranormal Romance

410 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2010

About the author

Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.

Jamie paved the way for the New Adult genre with the international bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Her follow-up novel, Walking Disaster, debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists in all four categories. Beautiful Oblivion, book one of the Maddox Brothers series, also topped the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at #1. In 2015, books two and three of the Maddox Brothers series, Beautiful Redemption and Beautiful Sacrifice, respectively, also topped the New York Times, as well as a Beautiful series novella, Something Beautiful. In 2016, Beautiful Burn made an appearance on the New York Times and USA Today, and was also named iBooks' Romance Book of the Year. The same year, A Beautiful Funeral also topped the New York Times bestseller list.

Novels also written by Jamie McGuire include: apocalyptic thriller and 2014 UtopYA Best Dystopian Book of the Year, Red Hill; the Providence series, a young adult paranormal romance trilogy; Apolonia, a dark sci-fi romance; and several novellas, including A Beautiful Wedding, Among Monsters, Happenstance: A Novella Series, and Sins of the Innocent.

Jamie is the first indie author in history to strike a print deal with retail giant Wal-Mart. Her self-published novel, Beautiful Redemption hit Wal-Mart shelves in September, 2015.

Jamie lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband, Jeff, and their three children.

Find Jamie at www.jamiemcguire.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Instagram.

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay Heather, calm down, it wasn't really that bad was it??

Yes it freaking was! 500 pages of crappy bad Twilight fan fic! I can't believe I wasted so much time!

Yes but you loved "Beautiful Disaster"? Isn't this by the same author?

Very true, I did like "Beautiful Disaster". But maybe I 'm just sick of stalker-boy insta-love YA romances!? I mean Jared was spouting creepy I love yous and making Nina her favorites meals at their first real date. He knew all of her preferences and likes and dislikes and was staring at her with creepy huge lovey stalker eyes and she didn't think that was bat-$hit crazy? I was waiting for her to slap him and run out of his place like a screaming banshee!

I think that is supposed to be romantic, Heather. Like he has been following her for her whole life and now they love each other forever without even having a real conversation

That doesn't sound romantic to me...

::Shrugs::

Also, Why do they like NINA herself? She is constantly being fawned over by Jared and poor pathetic Ryan and I honestly didn't see anything special about her. I didn't get a sense of her personality at all. She is personality-less. Void of personality. Is she super hot? I don't remember that being mentioned.

I don't think you are supposed to think about it that much.

Huh??

............

Yes, as you can see, this book was an epic fail for me. It was like everything that had been annoying me in young adult books but I kind of let slide was present in "Providence". There was insta-love, terrible terrible pacing (time jumps around meaninglessly and oddly, without reason), about 200 pages of just garbage filler that could have been cut, stupid misunderstandings, and an annoying as heck female protagonist. I feel like the odd man out because the vast majority of my GR friends liked this book. It just didn't work for me. I have a hard time believing this is the same author as "Beautiful Disaster" because, though that book has major flaws as well, the characters had spunk and personality. They were kind of lovable and silly and cliche but in a fun way. Here, I didn't enjoy myself reading... I just kept pushing myself to finish. Awful, just awful... I need to go comfort myself with an amazing book... ::holding my kindle and praying for a good one::

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A toast! To finally finishing this book.
It took me forever. It's never ending. *relieved sigh* But I did it.

"You have feelings for me?" His face fell. "I still can't get you out of my head."

"I want you safe. I want you happy. I'm figuring out the rest."

I had very high expectations for this book. HIGH. Sadly, I just did not love it. It irritated me beyond reason. I was either rolling my eyes, huffing in annoyance, or arguing with the pages. Seriously.
I was really looking forward to this book, and I was enjoying it at the beginning. It' actually a paranormal book, believe it or not, though it didn't feel much like it.
The story was slow, it dragged on for ages. Nothing was happening. It was a standstill. It was mostly Nina and Jared being insecure and them having to reassure each other. Spare me, please. When a problem would occur, it was handled immediately. So I found myself skimming through the majority of the book.

We meet Nina who meets Jared the day of her father's funeral. And you guessed it. It was love at first sight for her.
I've never read about a female character who's needed so much coddling in my life!
Nina is clingy, needy, naive, annoying, and just blah and ugh. She's one of those girls that will die if the guy she loves leaves her. Pathetic. I think she was really 13 instead of 19 or whatever.

"but the urgency wasn't there. I didn't feel like the oxygen was missing from the room when he wasn't in it."

"I was worried. I drove here prepared to beg you back."

Ohmygosh She was either crying or about to cry in every other paragraph. I found myself wanting to stop reading, but I refused to give up. Don't ask me why, cause I won't know what to tell you.

"It seemed as if he'd just noticed I'd been crying."

He probably doesn't even notice anymore since you do it so much.

"I rolled onto my side and curled into a ball, trying to cry quietly."

"...The nightly ritual of curling into a ball to cry seemed to be a permanent fixture in my life."

Obviously.

"...had to stand by and watch you cry so many times... I can't do it anymore."

Dude, join the club.

"I had to turn back around to wipe my tears; I didn't want him to see me cry."

If only you could spare me the same courtesy.

"I had thought moments before that my eyes couldn't cry anymore."

I thought so too but apparently we were both wrong.
This happens in every other paragraph. Every. Other. Paragraph.

"Speak for yourself. It's annoying how you coddle her all the time," Claire fumed.

Thank you Claire! I'm glad someone said it. This is why I like you.

Jared, I loved, but lost a lot of brownie points for enabling Nina's moronic, immature behavior. He is sweet, protective, and just perfect. Too perfect. In the end I was indifferent when it came to him. In all honesty, I liked the secondary characters more.

"By the time it occurred to me to care about things like that, I already knew you were all I'd ever want."

"Everything I've ever wanted is right here in my arms."

Will I be reading books 2 & 3? Mmm, probably not.

[Tee Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie McGuire, you have done it again, girl!!! I had this on my kindle for months and wasn't sure what exactly what it was about (that's what I get for adding books to my TBR without fully reading the summary). I'd been wanting to start it because I know I love Jamie's writing style, and I'm SO glad I finally picked it up!!

Providence gives us Nina, a student at Brown University who's dad has just passed away. The day of her dad's funeral, she happens to meet Jared Ryel, a kind and dreamy stranger who she then happily seems to keep running into around the town. Fate seems to keep bringing them together, and when he asks her to lunch she can't resist spending more time with him. He's kind, gorgeous, and mysterious, but when he starts to push her away and then impossibly saves her and her friends from a brutal attack, she's more confused than ever. Jared decides to let Nina see who he really is and why he seems to know her so well, even though he knows he could be making a big mistake. When he shares the secret that he's her protector, and reveals that there's more to her dad's life and death than she was ever aware of, it leads them down a rocky and dangerous path that puts Nina's life and those around her in harm's way.

Okay, so first off, I LOVED Jared and Nina!!!! Nina is feisty, funny, and strong, and you can't help but feel for her struggles. When Jared comes into her life and suddenly gives her some light in her darkness, it was hard to see her so confused and tormented about the way he was reacting. Once we find out about their past, the story takes on a whole new meaning, and I just absolutely fell in love with Jared!!! OOOOMMMMGGGG this boy is just too amazing in every way!!!! So sweet and loving, oozing steamy sexiness, and ummm, helloooooo???? I won't give it away, but the secret behind his awesome powers just makes him SO unbelievably irresistible!!!! Good lord, I could not get enough of him, every time he came into a scene my heart rate sped up!! And Jared and Nina together were just HOT HOT HOT!! There's so much chemistry sparking between them, and Jamie once again doesn't disappoint with the steaminess!!! Good lord, my heart was about to beat out of my chest more than once, and those moments were as beautiful as it was sexy!! These two are right up there with my all-time favorite YA fantasy couples!!

The supporting characters in Providence were outstanding, too; I just loved Jared's entire family, and Ryan and Beth were perfect as Nina's best friends at the university. The Ryels are just plain awesome, they take bad-ass to a new level and they all have a huge place in my heart!! I just love the twist about who they really are, I was completely engrossed in the story from that point!! They always have each other's backs, and they take on their difficult role in life with everything they have in them. And Ryan, though I never wanted him with Nina, is such a sweet and loving guy that you can't help but love him.

Providence has an exciting story behind the romance, too, and Nina is constantly in danger from the wrath of the demons and the humans that have everything to lose because of her father. They are relentless in their fight to get what they are searching for, and the Ryels are struggling to find a way out that doesn't put Nina in harms way. Jared will do anything to protect her, but is it enough? The struggles they go through to be together will just rip your heart to pieces, my stomach was tied in knots for a good portion of the story! Jared quite simply is every girls dream guy, so entirely and irrevocably in love with and dedicated to Nina that she is literally everything to him and has been for years. When a traumatic event makes Nina question whether or not they should be together to the point she very painfully pushes him away, I wanted to strangle her!!! I was nearly brought to tears over how much pain Jared had to endure because of Nina's stubbornness, I felt my heart shattering along with his!! Seriously, Jamie truly is the reigning queen of utterly heartbreaking, tortured romances. But thankfully, she's also the queen of creating those unforgettable scenes where her characters finally let everything go and just....WOW!!! My heart still races thinking about this amazing love story, I absolutely adore these characters!!! Jamie kept the twists coming up to the very end, too, so I was on the edge of my seat until 100% came up on my kindle! I'm starting Requiem today and can't wait to read more about this unforgettable story!!

[Aestas Book Blog]

Sooo I found this picture online and then some people though it looked like a good casting pic for the hero from this series which is making me REALLY WANT TO BUMP THEM UP MY TO-READ LIST cuz holyyyyy hotness!!!!

[Sita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don’t know how to describe this book. I picked this up because I loved Beautiful Disaster and I mean LOVED! I read it so many times it was a little ridiculous. Near obsession. Back to this book… I actually had to go on a huge search for this one; I could not find it anywhere. Not in the shops, not in the library, not online. I ended up buying it on I-tunes, to read on my I-phone. Let me tell you now, such a pain! My hands hurt by the end of finishing each chapter and the screen kept moving, from landscape to portrait and it’s taken me forever to actually finish the book. But boy am I glad I read it! Don’t let my whinging about where I read it actually put you off the book itself, which is easily going to become on of my favourites.

Providence is about... a lovely couple; it is about Nina Grey and Jared Ryel. This lovely couple faces many terrible things, one of them being a mafia-like-crime-gang-dirty-police sort of thing,

That's the evil police for you ;)

If that is not bad enough they also happen to face of a bunch of angry angels. And the everyday problems that come with being a Guardian Angel (yep that’s you Jared) and their siblings (that’s you Claire). Oh yes they also face their undying attraction.



Which strangely and much to my disappointment neither ends up submitting to until the last half of the book.

What did I think of the plot?

And just to prove that I can bring Glee into anything...


Holy Moly! I loved it! I loved the new take on angels; I loved the fact that they were battling a few things. I loved the fact that was a tad bit of an idiot (that award goes to you Nina), whom I wanted to slap most of the time. But that has nothing to do with the plot. So back to the plot, I generally loved. Not much else to say, I think now is the right time to shove in one of my favourite quotes “Because you’re worth it.” He looked at me as if I should know that already, and I couldn’t help but smile. “I think that’s already been trademarked by L’Oreal,” I said. It’s just so sweet, by the way, that’s not from Jared it’s from Ryan *sigh*.

Onto the characters. I am strange, but hopefully you already knew that. That was a random change in topic. Back to the book. Now that we have already discussed my strangeness, let’s discuss Ryan. I loved Ryan, sure I liked Jared, he was pretty cool, and I mean he’s a guardian angel for goodness sake. I’m still trying to decide if I want one of them, but if it was like Ryan, actually if I had one like Claire, hell yes. I loved Ryan because he was totally sweet, he was charming and was destined (they were going to get married) for Nina, but Jared got in the way and un-destined that. If you read the book you will see why I fell in love with Ryan and not Jared.

I just want to warn you, I’m not a crazy or anything, but Claire. Will you marry me?



Claire has got to be the kick-ass side character in the history of kick-ass characters. She was rude, obnoxious, she was hilarious (I loved when she was talking), and the way she accepted everything that happened to her. And she could kick some ass! So I ask again, even though I kind of like guys I am willing to make an exception for you Claire. Because as Ryan said to Nina “Because you’re worth it.”

The writing, sure there were a few typo’s, or maybe that was just my copy. Can we really trust I-tunes? But they were far and few and the super amazing story kinda makes up for them.



Overall, it was a fun, wonderful, enjoyable read. That I loved. I liked the fact that it was a whole different take on the angel thing, it was refreshing and I really didn’t expect that when picking up the book. I recommend this to lovers of the YA genre, romance and paranormal romance. This is actually a bit of a side note, but I was actually avoiding PR as of late, because I just couldn’t finish any books with it as a main theme. This book was different, good different. I really loved it, and I can’t say that enough. Here’s to another quote. This one cracked me up. “So…if I’m cramping…” Jared closed his eyes and nodded. He clearly didn’t want to dwell on the subject. I giggled in disbelief. “That hurts you?” He could feel what she was feeling, just really toned down.

[Abbi Glines · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADORED!

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Angel Saving Stars

Re-read Audio version. I love audio books. I love audio books even more when I re-read my favorite reads. It’s like you are experiencing everything for the first time and with DOUBLE the emotions.

If you have read this series or want to re-read this series. The AUDIO version is the perfect way to go.

Providence=swoon

I have kissed boys, some of those boys more than once, who never have kissed like that.

That’s because you kissed boys, sweetheart

It’s a mysterious, intriguing and super romantic book.

Nina is coping with the recent death of her father and the beginning is just so sad. You feel for Nina and ache for her. On her way back from the funeral, she shares a cab with Jared, who is 100% mysterious. I had no idea what direction this book was going to go, so I am glad I went into it blindly because everything was a surprise to me. The book is about Nina discovering the truth to her father’s death and who Jared really is.

Who is Jared? Where did he come from? What’s his story? It’s a BIG FAT mystery and I was itching to finding out. Uncovering who Jared and what role he plays was my favorite part of the book.

Jared and Nina

I love both characters equally. I think Nina is awesome, she’s very level-headed, passionate and at times reckless, but usually for a worthy cause. She doesn’t always do things I agree with and sometimes I just think to myself, is she really going to do that? But it just makes the book a little more intense and a little more ROMANTIC.

Jared is pretty much the whole package and more, he’s very protective and wears his heart on his sleeve. At times Jared can be a bit emotional, but he cares for Nina so much, you want him as your boyfriend or husband if you are my age.

The Tension

There’s a slight love triangle with Nina’s best friend Ryan, this I enjoy because you want some friction, also Jared’s sister, Clare who isn’t too keen with Nina. I really liked Clare’s character and it made Nina’s character a bit more realistic, because I believe not everyone should love the heroine.

As I was reading Providence, I forgot Jamie McGuire also wrote Beautiful Disaster another favorite of mine. I see a lot of same style of writing with, passionate characters, epic love story and a huge roller coaster of emotions written in the book. I like that Providence isn’t a contemporary romance novel, a little fantasy makes it different.

If you are looking for a heart-warming, drool-worthy, romantic-filled book. This one is for you.

Audio

It’s narrated by Carly Robins and it’s about 14 hours. This is my first Carly Robins narration and I really enjoyed her voice. Her voice sounds youthful, which is important to me since Nina is young too. She doesn’t change her voice during Jared’s parts in a dramatic way. There is a distinction between the Jared’s and Nina’s voice, but Jared’s voice isn’t super deep. I kind of like that because it kind of shows Jared’s age. I didn’t want to hear a super deep voice when I was imagining Jared. The pace was perfect and I felt like I wasn’t going to miss anything. I really felt Nina’s emotions, her highs, lows and even when Jared turned her on and yes that is important to me (you know it is).

AMAZON BUNDLE Series $4.99

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story starts with Nina losing her father. Her loving, perfect, doting father, who would like totally never, never, ever do anything wrong. *hint* *hint*

Very quickly Nina meets the mysterious Jared. But, like, if Nina and Jared are in love the world will end plus lots of other bad stuff will happen.

Insert tons of awkward writing such as,

"Jared's expression turned intense, as if he was moved beyond words by my simple honesty."

"I stretched my legs over Jared's lap and chewed happily on his amazing stir fry, marveling at what an exceptional cook he was."

*blergh*

So... Nina and Jared. In lurve. Jared has spent his life being Nina's secret bodyguard and obsessing over her. He even has a framed photo of her (taken with a surveillance camera) sitting on his bedside table. Instead of getting creeped out, dear Nina is touched. There is a little bit of poorly detailed heaven and hell paranormal angel nonsense thrown into the mix. But mostly this book is about Jared and Nina. They want to be together, but they can't. So Jared doesn't get with her, but he does stalk her 24/7 (conveniently he doesn't need sleep) and he installs surveillance equipment in her dorm room so he is privy to every word she utters. (Aww..isn't that sweet?) Once Jared decides to throw caution to the wind and be with Nina... she decides to break up with him. Honestly I don't remember why. But Nina, knowing Jared is stalking him dates a guy who has a crush on her in the hopes of fooling Jared (because Nina at this point is well aware of being under constant surveillance.) But, yanno Nina can't deny her lurve and she and Jared are not apart for long.

I'd like to say more about this novel, write a more concise review. But there really isn't much else to say. It is filled with never ending talk between Nina and Jared about their poopy relationship. Let the novel speak for itself,

"The next morning, I woke up with a thick sheath of perspiration covering my body. Jared was lying next to me but, much to my chagrin, his arms were nowhere near me.
'What's wrong?' he immediately asked, handing me a large glass of ice water.
'Why are you over there?' I pouted, talking a large gulp.
Jared smiled, 'No air conditioning. I had to track down a fan,' he said, nodding to the corner. A fan sat beside the futon, oscillating slowly.
I frowned. 'You left?'
'I keep it cool in the loft to compensate for you having to sleep with an electric blanket. Even on the particularly cold nights, I kept the heater off until morning so you wouldn't overheat. With the heat and humidity here...' he trailed off, frowning.
'You were worried I'd get too hot,' I finished for him, trying to say it in the most diplomatic way possible.
'You did get too hot, so I had to improvise...and you're still sweating,' he said, clearly dismayed at the situation.
I looked around to see that all the windows were open. 'You didn't sleep last night.'
Jared sighed, frustrated. 'You could have suffered heatstroke from sleeping beside your boyfriend and you're worried if I got my hour in.'
'You need more than an hour,' I pointed out.
'I slept.'
'Good,' I said, gulping more water down before setting the glass down in the bedside table. 'I'm going to take another shower, I'm sticky.'
Jared nodded with a guilty expression and then retreated to his hut.”

As previously mentioned, Jared’s day job (and night job, and weekend job) is protecting Nina by being her around the clock secret bodyguard. At some point after they finally met, Jared revealed to Nina that he kept a diary. About her. For years. Nina encouraged Jared to read the entire thing out loud to her,

”I was amazed at how much he loved me for so long, and how he fought the sometimes insufferable longing to speak to me. There were parts that were difficult to listen to, and parts that – if I had wanted to interrupt him, which I didn’t – I wanted him to go back and read again.
He skipped to the entry he wrote the day of my high school graduation. He wrote how proud of me he was, and how beautiful I looked in my cap in gown. He spoke of how happy I felt and wondered where my college years would take us. Jared wrote a lot about being worried that once we gained distance between us and Gabe and Jack, that he would introduce himself.
His eyes clouded over as he read to me his fears that I would fall in love with someone at college, and the unknown reaction he would have watching me be with someone in that way. I learned how devastated he was at the prospect that I would never know how much he loved me, and how he dreaded the day I got married and had children with someone else, Jared’s voice broke as he read the words.”

*blergh*

There is so much that is bad about this book… the writing, the plot, the characters, the notions of love and romance… but if the above samples don’t bother you, then give it a try. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good series, like this author a lot

[samantha Bookworm-on-rainydays · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first paranormal romance read this year and I loved every chapter. Jamie is really great at taking you on a journey and keeping you hanging on every word.

[Maria Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Creo que hacía tiempo que no ponía dos estrellas a un libro. Y no es que esta historia sea mala, no, creo que la idea es muy pero que muy buena, si no fuera porque después se desinfló de golpe.

[Autumn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh...why do i bother? I will tell you why. The book had a very interesting concept. The ways in which this story could go blew my mind, and then I read it. It would have gone in a DNF pile, but I have a flaw, maybe even fatal, and that is that I have to finish a book. No matter how bad it is, or seems, I must continue the slow torture of trudging on. I know other people that do this, and that is why some of them are my best friends. However, anyway, back to the book. There have been Twilight comparisons, which are fairly accurate. Another damn love triangle, (can we cuss in a review? Who cares doing it anyway). The love triangle is just as underdeveloped as in Twilight.Jared is just selfish. Nina is just whiney and then Ryan, sorely wasted. As with Beautiful Disaster, I just didn't feel the connection or draw between any of them. I liked Claire and thought her character development was wasted on the snooze fest of a love story. Things were unbelievable as far as progression, and even corny. However, there were things I liked. Claire was badass. I take that back on wanting more with her. Her story would be ruined by a heavy pen. Ryan and his games. The storyline (although not the execution). The interesting parts were rushed and the boring parts drug on! Overall, i should be given stars just fo finishing this book and the others.Read at your own risk. i heard people actually like it which proves that it takes different people to make the world go round. Anyway, these are just my two cents...I mean two stars. Happy Reading!

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Soapbox Review to come. Oh, I have a few words to spare about this book, and not so much in the measure that it offended me in the way that Nina Malkin's "Swoon" did, but I think the tone of this review might be similar to that one.

I'm just going to be blunt about my experience reading his book - the long and short of it - I thought it was decidedly mediocre. On one hand, I knew what I was getting into, considering it's a story about a paranormal romantic fictitious pairing, but there are tons of paranormal romances that were more interesting than this, and less messy (in the sense of transition and structure, though one could argue that there are some qualms to consider with the romance here). Issues with pacing, wording, characterizations, transitions in the plot and frankly some inclusions of jokes that I thought weren't amusing made this a one-star read for me. Hopefully I can expand upon it in the full review.

***

Count "Providence" as one of the many largely derivative paranormal romances surrounding angels that exist out there in the larger realm of urban-fantasy. I don't really consider this YA because of the age of the characters and the content contained within, personally, though that could be up for debate as far as the appeal is concerned, because there's a lot of this story that I could compare to the likes of say Becca Fitzpatrick's "Hush Hush" - and I'm not really saying that in a positive comparison.

I would say that the book feels largely more about a Mary Sue-ish wish fulfillment than it does about presenting a tangible, realistic yet transcending boundaries relationship occurring in the backdrop of a contentious familial falling out. I think in the premise alone, this book had the potential of developing into an interesting story. I'll give it that much, but it just...lacks quite a bit of life - it's dull, quite boorish even. Nina is one of the most rambly narrators I've had the displeasure of coming across. In every chapter, the narration (written in first-person) feels like a ramble that hardly seems to move the plot along. It's a struggle to get through to the larger plot turns. Tighter editing could've alleviated this to a degree, but largely, it was the details focused upon that felt out of place.

I'll give a few examples of this with a few choice passages:

"It was nice to meet you, Nina." There was an edge to his words. It went beyond politeness or even sincerity. He spoke the words with conviction.

This is a line from Jared spoken to Nina. Classic case of telling versus showing, plus - the direction of the sentiment is lost in the muddled clash of emotional descriptors here. I almost want to say pick one emotion and it would be better than spending so much time on it. There are other instances of this in the book as well.

Another nitpick with the writing:

"Nina, I know you're upset, but it's going to be okay." His voice was calm and soothing, almost too much so, as if he was trying to talk me down from a ledge.

"I'm standing in the middle of the street bawling my eyes out and yelling at you Jared! Why aren't you asking me what's wrong? Why don't you ever ask me questions?"

This is a lot of telling versus showing of emotion, plus a contradiction because Jared asks her just a little while before this exchange, discreetly "Nina, what's wrong?" The dialogue feels haphazard and unrealistic, and in several places of the book, it pulled me out of the story.

I've read pieces from writers who've made a daily trip to the grocery store sound more intimate, genuinely humorous, and eventful than this. On the larger spectrum, "Providence" has a juvenile writing style and could've been cut, rounded out, and developed much better to make it a more even read. But enough about the stylistics for now - let's discuss the heart of the story.

The story does start off on a hard-hitting note, with the unexpected death of Nina Grey's father, leaving the college aged Nina reeling from the loss. During the funeral, Nina meets a mysterious gent named Jared, who strikes her fancy in somewhat of an insta-love connection that feels quite awkward from its beginnings and develops into something of a stalkerish attraction. Wherever Nina goes, Jared seems to show up out of the blue. Some of her friends cheer her on, and we're constantly told from Nina's part "I barely know him!" And then there's the barely there love triangle (the other guy, Ryan, doesn't even have a shot - not that it matters because he develops a jealous streak and doesn't like Jared, and considers him a "danger" to Nina, who won't see it any other way. *rolls eyes*)

It takes a really long time, in collective consideration, for the reader to learn anything about Jared, especially his paranormal leanings. He's pretty much revealed to be her angel guardian in so many terms, and he's watched her in just about every relationship and transition in life that she's made, and Jared's said that he's wanted to kill the men Nina fell in love with that he says were bad for her (as if that isn't creepy enough). There's mention of his knowledge of Nina's father being involved in shady dealings, but that felt more like background information compared to the relationship aspect, and I honestly wish that more attention were paid to that. Even with Nina's Mom, I felt like she took more contention with Nina's relationship with Jared rather than the issue of her husband's misconduct (which I believe she knew about but didn't tell Nina.)

But back to the relationship, since it takes center stage in this story. I never really saw what Nina sees in Jared that makes him so attractive, nor him to her because she basically gives him crap on so many levels, even slut shaming his sister in her respective introduction because Nina thought Jared brought her into the same place where she met with her friends in order to make Nina jealous. Nina just...took so many divergent opinions and reactions where it was hard to feel sympathy for her as the story went on.

When it comes to a point where Jared asserts that they can't be together and he leaves, it lends Nina into a depression where she "can't live without him" and becomes yet another rambled mess of things. By that point, I'd lost investment and was just reading to see what happened until the end. Even the action scenes toward the end and contention points of their supposedly forbidden romance felt threadbare at best.

For the start of a penned trilogy, this was quite a mediocre introduction into the world/realm that McGuire seems to want to develop, and I think this is my first and last foray into this particular set of books. There are much stronger examples of paranormal romance and urban fantasy out there for people to partake, and for me, this wasn't worth the time.

Overall score: 1/5

[Tee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I think I'll start with what first got me about this book.

If I thought someone was stalking me, as in they show up everywhere I go, they're at my school even though they don't go there, I would be freaked and would call the police. I wouldn't just accept the fact that this random guy was following me. I mean, really Nina! You're so stupid.

And then oh god, and then her mother uses her full name 'Nina Elizabeth Grey'. Like what the hell. Basically Hush, Hush and Twilight collided then McGuire added a dash of Vampire Academy and you have Providence. I only realized this when I read her full name but the similarities are consistent throughout the rest of the book. But really I mean if I was ripping off a book then I would choose a better name then Nina Grey. One that didn't sound like Nora Grey.

So getting back to it. It was alright. I got through it all. But there were too many similarities between hush hush & providence. & sorry but Nora & Patch win hands down. Nina and Jared annoyed me. I'm all for mysterious male characters Aka Patch but Jared was annoying. And after one date they're suddenly in love with each other and talking about getting married. Seriously you're 19 and you hardly even know the guy what is wrong with you!!

The whole supernatural element with Jared being half an Angel was almost like an afterthought. As if McGuire thought it would be more appealing to YA if she put some Angels in there. It just made it all the more annoying. Jared and Nina would be in the middle of some sappy awkward lovey dovey moment and then suddenly you'd be reminded that Jared was half an Angel or Ninas guardian angel (hello Hush,Hush) and all the 'action' right at the end was poor. It was really bad. Suddenly they decide to come and it's all over in about 5 seconds. I was hoping Nina would die just to put an end to it all.

Nina Nina Nina you are stupid. When you pulled that little stunt with pretending to date Ryan, that's where I started to hate you. So you can't live without Jared the. Suddenly you don't want him and then you date Ryan but you don't want him either and then you go right back to Jared and he's so sad and then you get shot and then you're getting married. I mean seriously what the hell.

The reason this has two stars is because I actually managed to get through it meaning it wasn't that bad and I did let out a giggle at some parts of the conversations between Nina & Jared. But all in all I don't know if I'd read the next one. & I don't really recommend it unless you want to read about a love sick teenager with half an angel for a boyfriend.

[Tough Critic Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this book is completely opposite from Beautiful Disaster, the beautifully talented writing is exactly the same. Who needs vampires and werewolves when you have an extremely hot half angel bodyguard who is unconditionally in love with you and completely devoted to keeping you safe (even though it does make Jared appear to be a little bit whipped at times). I fell in love with this book from the start. One of the things I liked most was that it took place in college which is very rare for a book these days. The romance between Jared and Nina is very intense and becomes that way very quickly. However, Jamie McGuire makes it work. The unique plot kept me interested from start to finish and I loved the way she linked the human side of being a bodyguard with the angelic responsibilities. With the risk of overusing the word love...You will love the characters, you will love the story, you will love the romance, you WILL love this book!

[Amber’s reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was chock full of holes and seemed so rushed at times, I would go back and read entire pages thinking I’d missed something. One minute the characters would be talking in a room somewhere and the next second they’d be in a car. The pacing was completely off. There wasn’t a lot of transitions. I felt like I had to be psychic to figure it out.

I understand that the paranormal aspect of a book is going to be unbelievable - since it’s paranormal. But almost all the other aspects of this story were unbelievable as well - the insta-love, two men vying for her same woman, the robotic dialogue, Nina’s constant flip flopping.

I’m just going to stop now, because I could seriously go on and on and on. I don’t need to bash this book or author. She wrote one of my favorite books - Beautiful Disaster. But this book was a total disappointment.

[Nicole Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I can't decide if I liked Providence or Beautiful Disaster better . . . both were phenomenal. This was a sweet love story, very romantic, and action packed. If you're a paranormal fan and enjoy a sigh-worthy love story, you should check Providence out, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Just bought the sequel and can't wait to read it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Possible spoiler alert*

It's pretty safe to say I've found myself a new favorite author.

I read this book on my Kindle but I'm going to have to buy it because I want it, in my hands! To maybe hug, I'm not sure...
I just love the way Jamie writes, it's so captivating and intriguing. And when there's drama and action going on, you really sit on the edge of your seat! She had me quite worried there towards the end...
I totally love the entire environment she created in this one and every single person is spot on! I just love it all so much!
And what a nice change to read about angels for once! I love reading about angels and it's my favorite thing right after vampires. I mean, who wouldn't want a swoonworthy, protective and so amazingly sweet and caring guardian angel who's madly in love with you?! ;-) It can't get any better than that, really. Because Jared is wonderful in every way possible.

I'm happy in my little Providence bubble, right where I want to be for now. I'll try to stay away from book 2 as long as I can - I really don't want to wait an entire year for the third and final installment becasue I will be in agony, but knowing myself pretty well by now, I'll end up reading it before the week is over...

And after that there's always Beautiful Disaster.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn’t interesting enough. I wanted it to be over. Annoying heroine stupidity.

PARANORMAL SET-UP:
It wasn’t made clear, but I believe a small number of people in the world have a protector-guardian angel. Jack was wealthy and had many enemies. Gabe was Jack’s guardian angel. Gabe was like a secret agent with super powers. When Jack is killed in a car accident, Gabe died shortly after. Angels die when their taleh (their protectee) dies. Previously, Gabe married a human Lillian. They had three children who have angel powers Jared, Claire, and Bex. Angels have no choice in who their taleh is. When they see them they know. They also know they will die when their taleh dies. The angel feels the pains and emotions that their taleh feels.

Jack had one daughter Nina. Nina is Jared’s taleh. For years Jared has been secretly watching her as a protector. He has hidden cameras and microphones in places she lives and in her car. Jack paid a salary to Gabe and Jared for their protective services to him and his daughter. After Jack dies, his estate continues to pay Jared to protect Nina. (Summary: Guardian angels exist but they need to be paid a salary for their services. Question: If the taleh is poor, who pays for the salary and surveillance equipment?) Other characters are demons from hell and archangels who are more powerful than regular angels.

The story begins when Nina meets Jared for the first time after her father’s funeral.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The setting involves angels, but one could write the same story without angels - have Jared work in the security business and be good at shooting and fighting. The plot is: boy is hired to protect girl. He falls in love with her but must stay away so he can protect her better. She falls in love with him at first sight. She wants to know his secrets. Bad guys threaten girl.

The above set-up is ok, but I was expecting more about the angel-demon world. There is only one brief scene with a demon. The first half was ok because I was curious. But during the last half I wanted it to be over. I was skimming parts to get to the good stuff and main events. And then, heroine stupidity made it worse.

HEROINE STUPIDITY:
I was annoyed when she broke up with Jared for a stupid and illogical reason. It was one of those I love you but I’m staying away from you for your own good even though we will both be miserable. Also without your protection, I will probably be killed. I was further annoyed when the heroine did something else stupid while they were apart.

The author has good writing skills. When I was giving constructive criticism to another author, I used Jamie McGuire as an example of how to write a conversation scene without saying hi, how are you, and goodbye.

THE SERIES:
Nina and Jared continue as the main characters in the two sequels “Requiem” and “Eden.”

DATA:
Kindle count story length: 11,440 (707 KB). Swearing language: mild, including religious swear words. Sexual content: Sex occurred one time but no details were shown. Setting: current day Providence, Rhode Island, and a small island off the coast of Nicaragua. Copyright: 2010. Genre: young adult paranormal romance.

[Markéta · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!****

My first book written by Jamie McGuire and I have to say that I get why she's so popular! It was good. I'm not saying that it was perfect and I loved every single thing about it but it was good, gripping and both romantic, sad and funny.

Nina's sad had just died when she meets a handsome stranger (obviously nobody told that "stranger-danger" thing). He gives her a ride home and after that she wishes that she's meet him again. And wham. She meets him again. And again. And again..

Jared is older, and the ephitome of tall, dark and dangerous. And with his blond hair he reminds Nina of angel. If only she knew, muhehehe :D

They start to meet regularly and he shows up particulary whenever Nina is in danger, which is weirdly a lot. But there are things that just don't click. There's something about Jared. Nina knows that he's got secrets, she knows that they might be dangerous and not what she want to hear, but she's developed feelings towards him.. And she has to know the truth.

I liked that Jamie McGuire took the idea of angels, fallen angels and demons and wrote something entirely new. I doubted that anyone could write something with the theme and be original. Well, I was wrong. Of all the angel-demon books I've read this will probably be my second most favourite series (right after HushHush saga).

Jared was such a cutie. I'd hug him and never let him go if I could. <3
He was muscular, handsome and the things that came out of his mouth? So. damn. adorable. and romantic. and swoon-worthy. Right now Jared is my biggest book crush.

Nina was sometime pretty immature and there were moments where she annoyed the hell out of me. But most of the time she was likeable, strong and quite too sensitive and she cried too easily. The book was said only from her POV and being inside her head wasn't bad. I liked being there. For a while, anyway.. (I really want Jared's POV. Althought he might burn the pages with his hotness, so maybe it's not a good idea..)

I'm excited about the next two books.

For more reviews visit my blog

My instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlovesreading/

[Gailda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am honestly confused by the high praise for this book! Having never read 'Beautiful Disaster', I had no expectations for this book. It turns out that somehow, this book cannot even beat my complete lack of expectation (which is truly saying something, because I have read some horrendous YA fiction in my time)

From what I have read of this book (I could only tolerate 1/3 of the book until I couldn't stand it anymore), it's full of what I dislike about YA fiction.

1. A boring protagonist
Meet Nina, aka the boring protagonist. I'm not looking for a girl with superhero powers or an alien from outer space. All I'm asking for is a non Mary-Sue who is genuinely likeable. I can find very few redeeming features of our girl Nina (who everyone loves for some reason completely unbeknownst to me...) - especially when she calls her BMW a Beemer.

2. Creepiness disguised as being romantic.
Being in love with a girl who you've watched grow up while she is unaware of your presence or infatuation is not cute. At all. If Nina had any sense at all, she'd slap a restraining order on him.

3. S...l.......o......w....
I got the one third point in the book and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. There is not even anything to make me want to continue reading (Not the answers of what was Nina's dad really up to, or what does Ryel really do - I was so bored at this stage that I didn't care to find out)

4. General ridiculous things that make me cringe
"Jared made a strange face as if he didn't know how to react to my little anecdote, and then returned to the kitchen. He brought out a bowl of steamed vegetables, a plate of dinner rolls, and a baked potato... all of them favourites of mine" (p.95)

(I KID YOU NOT. THIS WAS ACTUALLY IN THE BOOK.)

Yes of course those are your favourites Nina. Because they are bland just like your personality.

[Simona Beňová · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dovoľte mi predstaviť vám Ninu, obyčajné vysokoškolské dievča, ktoré na prvý pohľad môže vyzerať ako sympatické dievča. No nedajte sa oklamať. Ak by ste zvažovali byť jej priateľkou, pripravte sa na to, že:
1.vás bude ignorovať (pretože bude mať mozog prevarený z toľkého premýšľania o tom super-mega-extra-úžasnom a tajomnom chalanovi Jaredovi)
2.ju budete neustále utešovať (pretože to dievča jednoducho nevie prestať bučať, keď sa od nej Jared vzdiali na viac ako hodinu)
3.budete viesť prázdne konverzácie (v skutočnosti ju ale nebude vôbec trápiť, čo sa deje vo vašom živote)

Čakáte, že hrdinka bude mať aj nejaký život? Že bude mať koníčky? Že bude sebestačná a bude mať rozum? - Tak to teda rozhodne nie.

Citové vzťahy medzi postavami? Žiadne, ak nerátame Jareda a Ninu.

Čakáte, že vzťah medzi Jaredom a Ninou sa bude postupne vytvárať, že medzi nimi bude napätie? To si hneď môžete nechať zájsť chuť, nič také sa totižto konať nebude. Ale bude medzi nimi strašne veľa drámy, ktorá zahŕňa fňukajúcu Ninu v úlohe rozmaznaného decka a Jareda v úlohe toho super-mega-nežného chalana, ktorý jej k nohám položí srdce... už takmer po prvej kapitole

Toto rozhodne nebola kniha pre mňa a už o nej nechcem ani počuť, pretože sa mi okamžite dvíha krvný tlak.

[Shelly Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with me some Jared....... :)

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also Found On: A Book and A Record

Let me start by saying that one of my goodreads friends (Cindy over at Once Upon a Time Book Reviews – click our link to her site, she’s great!) was really excited about this book, and though my TBR list on my Kindle is hovering somewhere around 110 titles, I knew that this one was going get pushed to the top. I’m so glad that it did! So thank you, Cindy, for getting so excited about such a fun read!
Providence is a really amazing blend that has slight elements of the Twilight novels and the Hush, Hush saga, however it is unique. Here is why:
1. Jared. Jared’s love for Nina has been growing for quite some time. He doesn’t see her across the lunch room, he purposefully inserts himself into her life with every intention of staying there. This isn’t a “hey look at the hot girl over there, I can’t live without her.” It’s built upon things in the past (cue: the diary-reading scene, melt my heart!) Although Jared is overprotective, I felt that he had a legitimate, tried and true, had already taken 1 bullet for this girl, reason to be overprotective. He also wasn’t afraid to admit that his weakness was if anything happened to her. Both literally and figuratively.
2. The Setting: Seriously. This setting works so perfectly for this type of story and I felt like it played really well into helping move the story forward. You know how is Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling is always giving hints about what is to come through the way the weather is acting? That’s kind of what McGuire does in Providence, I love when weather and setting is incorporated into a story. And I love when a story is set on a Uni campus! I feel like it encourages readers to head to University, which I wholeheartedly support.
3. The Story. I will be the first to admit that I am a sucker for the stories that are like this one. Although I haven’t made my way through the Twilight books recently, they do have a very fond place in my heart. Not only because they really propelled me into a wider variety of paranormal books, but because they boosted the YA industry into what it is today. That being said: I love stories about true love! I love stories that have a happy ending! I love stories that are entertaining and fun to read. Providence is that way for me. It was fun, it was light (material wise), and a great one to curl up on the couch and read over an afternoon.
I’ll admit: The only thing I didn’t like about this book was Ryan. Ryan was annoying. I felt like through the entire book he was pushing himself onto Nina, and although I think there was something (on the authors part) to turn Ryan/Nina/Jared into a love-triangle, I honestly never felt like Ryan stood a chance. I mean seriously? He was annoying and so cocky it made me was to hurl.
Holy crap guys I give this with a warning: this book with suck you in. I’ve joked before, but this one really felt like I had gone down the rabbit hole and wouldn’t be coming back out for a while. I can’t wait to get started on the sequel! I’m giving it four pies, because I am literally hungry for more! Requiem here I come!

[Seda · Rating 3 out of 5]

❗️❗️❗️ DİKKAT! Seriyi merak edip okumayı düşünenlere ÖNEMLİ uyarı;

YOL YAKINKEN KAÇABİLDİĞİNİZ KADAR UZAĞA KAÇIN!

İlk kitap fena değil mi acaba falan derken, seriye verdiğim puanlar her kitapta bir puan düştü. Gitgide daha kötü, daha kötü ve en sonunda leş oldu seri. Sanırım fantastik türde daha kötü bir kurgu okumamıştım. Gömmeye kalksam sayfalarca yorum yazarım ama Jamie beni tüketti. Okumayı düşünen herkese yol yakınken dönmesini tavsiye ederim. Ben yandım, başkaları yanmasın🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been on my TBR forever, and being a big fan of Jamie McGuire’s (well, a massive fan of Beautiful Disaster, to be honest), I was keen to see what she did with a PNR.

The paranormal element is interesting, and I really liked the premise of the relationship, and I can absolutely see why so many people love this book, but it fell a bit flat for me.

First and foremost - I love Jared. He is the paranormal part of this paranormal romance, and he is such a good guy! He is brave, and protective, and not afraid to put his emotions out there - he is madly in love with Nina, and entirely devoted to her. It’s almost a little excessive and obsessive at times, just how perfect he is, and how Nina is his entire world.

“I exist for you. And I live for you. And I live to love you.”

Creepy and stalkerish? Maybe, but it ties into the paranormal side of things so it didn’t bother me too much.

The focus of the book is definitely the romance between Nina and Jared, with lots of detail provided about their meeting, their feelings, their getting to know each other, and then their all-encompassing, life-altering love, and all of the happy and emotional times that come after that.

“I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.”
“You promise?”
Jared smiled. “I love you more than I could ever promise.”

It’s swoony and functional for the majority of the book, although Nina has a moment of epic stupid that had he me rolling my eyes and wanting to smack her – not just for what she did, but for the impact her actions had on the people that she involved in her little plan Jared’s heartbreak was hard enough to read about, but involving Ryan as well, when she had to know he was going to get hurt!. Ugh, so not cool!

“I tried to figure out where everything had gone so horribly wrong. I hadn’t set out to hurt anyone, yet every decision I made seemed to cause others pain.”

Really, Nina? Really? *smacks head against wall*. But despite her moment of stupid, I actually don’t mind Nina as a heroine. She has a bit of backbone, and I understand her wanting to do what she thinks is best. And, of course the stupid is resolved, and resolved well, when she gets a metaphorical smack (I would have given her a real one - but that's just me), and there is a beautifully swoony happy ending.

This book is quite long and I found the story to be a bit slow. With most of the storyline centred around the romance, not a whole lot happens outside of that. Nina’s father is a bad guy, and she is in danger from men that he dealt with, there are a couple of action scenes that allow Jared and his siblings (love them!) to go all badass, but that’s about it. There is a threat of ‘we’re not allowed to be together’ that never really amounts to much, the paranormal element is fairly minor, and nothing much else happens.

“I’ll fight fate. I’ll fight Heaven and Hell, and everything in between to keep you.”

OK, then, Jared – show me that!!!

While this book obviously wasn’t everything I wanted it to be, I did enjoy it, and I am invested enough in the characters, and the promise of the paranormal side of the story, to want to continue on with the series. There are hints at some action to come, and I’m keen to see how the unfinished threads play out.

3 stars.

[Kristy Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I have to be honest. I started this book with some pretty high expectations. I was looking for another Beautiful Disaster. But part way through the book i realized I didn't want another BD, not really. I wanted a book that would provoke the same feelings BD did. I can't say this book did that exactly, but it was still a great book. In fact I would have loved it more had I not been comparing it to BD so much I think.

OK enough babbling, I loved it. I read reviews before reading it and so some of the mystery that was Jared at the beginning was missing for me. I wished I had gone into this without knowing so much about him. He was pretty awesome though! I love the strong, confident, kick butt males Jamie McGuire creates for her books. She also knows how to write a heart wrenching break up scene. Both books that I have read by her have made me feel like I am part of those break ups. My chest starts hurting and my stomach clenches. If I was the protagonist in either of her stories I wouldn't ahve been able to walk away. No way. I'm weak.

Ryan. Lets talk about him. He is the boy Nina was supposed to be with before Jared came into her life. I really liked Ryan. In a way I really wanted him to have his chance with Nina and not in the pretend way. In fact when they were pretending I wanted him to just grab her and kiss her once really good when they were alone, so she could feel what being with Ryan could be like for real. But that definitely would have made life harder on him. Because in the end I still wanted Nina with Jared.

Jared showed up a lot in the beginning. He would just pop up when needed. Nina's friends even called him her stalker for a while. I don't understand why Nina didn't just tell her friends that he was a hired body guard basically. Her father had a lot of enemies and Jared has always been there protect her even before she knew him. That would explain his constant presence and how he seemed to know to know so much about her.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAVORITE QUOTES

There are so many times I found myself grinning like an idiot while reading this book. I laughed out loud a couple of times too. I just love Jamie McGuire's writing.



Kim and I stood, waiting for Beth to gather her miniature office supply store.

"This is why I don't bring anything." Kim said, gesturing to Beth.

"You borrowed my pen!" Beth objected.

"Oh. Right," Kim said, tossing the pen into Beth's bag. "All packed."


~Kim and Beth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What is that?"

Jared sighed. "It's a Vulcan."

"Weird. I thought it was a motorcycle." I smiled, but Jared didn't find humor in my words. I put up my hand and separated my fingers into a 'V'. "Live long and... no?"


~Nina and Jared

BWAHAHAHA Love it!

[RuthAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I know that I've lamented a few times that authors keep writing to the same YA formula, and on a few occasions, I've even begged them to stop. But here's the thing--it's like Big Oil. If consumers are going to keep paying money for gasoline (read: same YA shit) then the oil companies are going to keep manufacturing it and not put a lot of time and effort into exploring new sources of renewable energy.

So while I might bitch that Providence had every single YA cliche that I've grown tired of, authors like Jamie McGuire have no incentive to write different stories because I just paid $9.99 to read the Providence Omnibus. And until readers stop paying money for this, it's going to continue to happen.

I've already screwed up, but hopefully, I can stop you from making the same mistake by not giving this book 4 or 5 stars and not writing a review about how romantic it is.

It's not that Jamie McGuire is a bad writer; she's not. On the contrary, she is an excellent character builder and storyteller. The part I have a problem with is the plot. It was riddled with the same ever-present storylines as all YA these days, with a few notable exceptions--mainly Maggie Steifvater.

Here is a list of my areas of concern:

1. The main character is a smart girl. She is a student at Brown for heaven's sake! But her studies get pushed to the side by her inexplicable obsession with someone she doesn't even know.

2. A male "protector."

3. A male "protector" that is in love with the main character.

4. Main character sacrifices herself to protect the protector.

5. Flimsy love triangle that is obviously never an issue.

6. Characters that are "fated" to be together.

7. Characters that are in love after 5 friggin seconds.

**

I have to give this book 2 stars because McGuire's quality of writing is high, but the story itself gets 1 star. I cannot continue to settle for this tired crap that passes for a good read these days.

In the future, I'm going to pay better attention to other people's reviews before I buy, and I would encourage my friends to do the same. It's only when we drive authors/publishers to do something different through economic necessity that better stories will emerge in the marketplace.

[Jax O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Providence was yet another brilliant display of Jamie McGuires raw talent. My first introduce to her works was with the title Beautiful Disaster, and it was a amazing and thrilling story that I have revisited since. McGuire is a amazing author with the ability to combine sweet and simple characters with remarkable story lines. Everytime I have the opportunity to read works by this author I am astounded and awestruck with her ability to create breath taking romances. These are the stories that readers will remember long after the last line, and revisit just so that they can feel the emotions of loving the characters all over again.

Providence was unique from McGuire's other stories, because of her paranormal twist. This was incredibly benefical to the story at esclating the emotion level even further. As with Beautiful Disaster McGuire is genuinely talented in writing deeply emotional love stories, but when Providence opens the door more a magically connection it seemed to highten the romance even further. (As if I thought that was even possible!) I love feeling as though I am part of the story, and Jamie's ability to absorb readers is clearly evident from this story. The action and suspense promises late night and missed bedtimes. I can't wait to see what the next book will offer. Jamie McGuire is the a amazing author, and something you should not miss! BOOKWHISPERER RECOMMEND!!

[Jessica Buwalda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, so I had high expectations after reading Beautiful Disaster and the book did not fail. The book doesn’t come off the same way as it does through reading the synopsis. Be warned it doesn’t feel like a novel about Heaven and Hell and Demons. No the majority of this novel is a romance. One guy has who has always been around and one girl who never knew it. And the things is you fall in love with Jared from about…well I wouldn’t say the first time you meet him but maybe the second. At first while I was reading this I thought that they were falling in love all too fast, but when things finally get to be explained then you just seem to understand and if anything you love it even more. This book, like Beautiful Disaster, made me cry, laugh, smile uncontrollably, and some times shakes my head thinking “what the hell are they doing?” But when Jared and Nina go on vacation to the middle of buckshot no where well, I thought it was the most beautiful vacation in the world. The book had my head spinning like her other book and my emotions were all over the place. Is it normal to cry in public while reading? Yes? No? Hmmm…
At one point I was scared that the love triangle between Jared, Nina, and Ryan was going to be like the one from Twilight and to be honest I really didn’t want that. Thankfully…it wasn’t. Phew! But no matter what this book is definitely a keep and Jamie McGuire has yet to fail my expectation
Good:
Nina Grey: She loves her people. And she wants to always take care of them
Ryan: By far the sweetest guy in the world. Although he does stupid things sometimes to prove himself.
Claire: Claire is like the modern day Nikita. Or Elektra maybe. Or Wonder Woman.
Jared: Jared is the sexiest Hybrid. And I imagine him to have the absolute best smile in the world. Even when the guy is stunned happy and they’re mouth is hanging open. Ya even then he would have the big smile I’ve ever seen. He’s tall, he works out, he’s good at what he does, he LOVES Nina, drives a motorcycle, owns his own business, and on top of it all he’s a fantastic dresser. Jamie McGuire posted on her facebook page that Garrett Hedlund would be a good Jared.
Oh yes please!
Bad:
So far I’ve found that the main men in Jamies’ books happen to be very very much in love with the main women in her book. It’s a little scary sometimes and borders on the obsessed level but it always seems to fit and I can’t even get mad at the girls for being in love with them or get mad at the guys either.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall I did find some of this book a little confusing at time. Only because Jamie doesn’t seem to explain that one second they are in his loft and the next they are at the bank. So it does get a little confusing but then you kind of just figure it out. What I like is how Jamie can get the humour across in her writing and the emotions of the characters. She also really knows how to bring across emotions through the eyes of her characters—literally. Overall, I loved this book and I am happy that I started reading it when the last book finally came out. Because now I can enjoy them all in one week.

View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com