Note: 100% of the proceeds from Hawthorne benefit Japan disaster relief charities.
Emma Grace left home ten years ago and never looked back. Why? Because a horrifying accident and an encounter with the unexplained left her with scars that never healed.
But Emma is coming home, the death of her beloved Grandmother the catalyst for her to face what happened all those years ago.
She knew that she might see Noah, but what she didn’t expect was that he still could affect her heart. It’s going to make coming to terms with what happened and saying goodbye to the past that much harder.
Not to mention the fact that the unexplained still lurk in the shadows at Hawthorne Manor and as much as Emma Grace tried to forget them, they never once tried to forget her….
This is my first opportunity to review a novella and all proceeds of this book go to charity. What more could a girl ask for?
A good read perhaps?
Hawthorne wasn’t just a good read it was a great read! I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this up, I admit I don’t usually read novellas. Only because sometimes they feel incomplete to me, like the story could go on but didn’t.
This was not the case with Hawthorne. It was a full, complete story. When I put it down I didn’t feel like there was anything missing, all the elements of a great story were there. There was good characterization, which to me, in a novella, is key. The writer has to have a good skill for imparting the character to the reader quickly but thoroughly and still move the story along. I will say the only thing I wished for was maybe better description of what the characters looked like. But even that set my imagination to work, creating a picture in my head of the perfect Noah. ;)
The storyline was well thought out. It included romance, mystery, paranormal, gossip and even had a good climax towards the end. The author did a great job moving the story along, flowing everything together with ease. The setting of the book was great too: An old manor, modernized by money and for convenience, yet still somehow stuck in the past and clinging to its history. The image my mind conjured was of sweeping rooflines, romantic balconies and a quiet expanse of lush lawn with the sweet, heavy fragrance of blooming flowers floating through the air. It is the perfect setting for all things paranormal, where things appear perfect but aren’t.
And let me just say that my favorite part of this novella was the end. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to give it away (what fun would that be?) but I will say that it was fabulous and something that was unexpected.
I highly recommend this novella for anyone who loves to read paranormal. It’s an easy read, a quick read and it is great for transporting you away from your own mind and into someone else’s. I live in the south, where the heat is sometimes unbearable and the air is heavy with humidity…some days I just want to stay inside with my air conditioning and a cup of tea and pretend that it isn’t blistering outside. Hawthorne was the perfect excuse to do that. Even if you don’t live where the heat keeps you in, you can take this book outside with you and enjoy it on a brilliant summer day.
You won’t regret it. And what makes it even better is that by buying this book you will be helping others in need. Hey, it’s all in a day’s work…
Author: Sarah Ballance
Publisher: Astraea Press
Genre: Paranormal novella
ISBN: 978-1936852-44-4
Format: Ebook
Note: 100% of the proceeds from Hawthorne benefit Japan disaster relief charities.
Emma Grace left home ten years ago and never looked back. Why? Because a horrifying accident and an encounter with the unexplained left her with scars that never healed.
But Emma is coming home, the death of her beloved Grandmother the catalyst for her to face what happened all those years ago.
She knew that she might see Noah, but what she didn’t expect was that he still could affect her heart. It’s going to make coming to terms with what happened and saying goodbye to the past that much harder.
Not to mention the fact that the unexplained still lurk in the shadows at Hawthorne Manor and as much as Emma Grace tried to forget them, they never once tried to forget her….
This is my first opportunity to review a novella and all proceeds of this book go to charity. What more could a girl ask for?
A good read perhaps?
Hawthorne wasn’t just a good read it was a great read! I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this up, I admit I don’t usually read novellas. Only because sometimes they feel incomplete to me, like the story could go on but didn’t.
This was not the case with Hawthorne. It was a full, complete story. When I put it down I didn’t feel like there was anything missing, all the elements of a great story were there. There was good characterization, which to me, in a novella, is key. The writer has to have a good skill for imparting the character to the reader quickly but thoroughly and still move the story along. I will say the only thing I wished for was maybe better description of what the characters looked like. But even that set my imagination to work, creating a picture in my head of the perfect Noah. ;)
The storyline was well thought out. It included romance, mystery, paranormal, gossip and even had a good climax towards the end. The author did a great job moving the story along, flowing everything together with ease.
The setting of the book was great too: An old manor, modernized by money and for convenience, yet still somehow stuck in the past and clinging to its history. The image my mind conjured was of sweeping rooflines, romantic balconies and a quiet expanse of lush lawn with the sweet, heavy fragrance of blooming flowers floating through the air. It is the perfect setting for all things paranormal, where things appear perfect but aren’t.
And let me just say that my favorite part of this novella was the end. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to give it away (what fun would that be?) but I will say that it was fabulous and something that was unexpected.
I highly recommend this novella for anyone who loves to read paranormal. It’s an easy read, a quick read and it is great for transporting you away from your own mind and into someone else’s. I live in the south, where the heat is sometimes unbearable and the air is heavy with humidity…some days I just want to stay inside with my air conditioning and a cup of tea and pretend that it isn’t blistering outside. Hawthorne was the perfect excuse to do that. Even if you don’t live where the heat keeps you in, you can take this book outside with you and enjoy it on a brilliant summer day.
You won’t regret it. And what makes it even better is that by buying this book you will be helping others in need. Hey, it’s all in a day’s work…
So there you have it. My opinion.