OMG!!! Why hadn't I read this before now??? A tragic childhood has left Ellie Coulter with a supernatural gift that tells her a person’s true intentions. Believe me we could all benefit sometimes from that gift! This time not even her "gift" to protect her. Not from a cheating husband with his own self-destructive secrets. After finding the strength to leave this "God's Gift to Every Woman", she retreats from the world to heal. A friend insists on playing matchmaker and eventually draws her back into the world. After some persistent coaxing, Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found a reason to let her walls down, and his name is Dr. David Mitchell. After her friend's dinner party ends on a sour note...Ellie unexpectedly finds herself the caretaker of the Bradford mansion, an old and impressive home that, like many old stately homes, has also been rumored to be haunted. Ellie is reluctant to believe in ghosts and is curious about the mansion's history. Soon Ellie and David find themselves entangled in events that happened well over a hundred years ago and led to the disappearance of the mansion's former owners. Unknown to them, there is someone hiding behind the scenes, pulling the strings to twist their destines and answer a dark calling of their own. The house itself seems to almost have a mind and a will of it's own and has been patiently waiting just for them. I, The Ghost Story Junkie", absolutely loved the book, and you probably will also if you are drawn to ghost stories or books with something creepy living in the basement or other parts of the house, waiting on its unsuspecting victims. I am so looking forward to the next two books in this series. Amazon Prime had better get a move on:) ( )

This book was given to me by the author but it did not affect the review in anyway*

This is one extremely surprising read and I loved it even more because it was set in Minnesota! I love knowing the area/setting in books, it adds a reality factor that I don’t usually get from other books!

Ellie is a character that you can’t help but feel bad for and I worried about her a lot. She is in a very bad situation because of a messy divorce and a somewhat scary ex-husband. The beginning creeped me out a ton because it just jumps in at the end of Ellie’s messy divorce. I had no idea what was going on but I just knew it was bad. The paranormal aspect of the book kept me guessing in the beginning and their was a major plot twist at the end! The beginning portion of the book is a bit slow moving but it really picks up in the end, and you wouldn’t be able to put it down! Ellie, of course, meets a new guy who is extremely intriguing. Rightfully so, she is a bit guarded but over the course of the book starts to unwind a bit and let David in to her life.

The only thing I despised was how nice and forgiving Ellie was to her ex husband Jake. After all the creepy things and the cheating that Jake has done to Ellie, I feel that he deserved to not be treated so well. However, it helps to show how kind but yet fragile Ellie is as a character in the beginning.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

The first book is currently free on AMAZON and Barnes and Noble.


Original Post: http://thepassionatebookworms.com/review-edge-of-shadows-shadows-1-by-cege-smith... ( )

LOVED IT... ( )

Book Info: Genre: Paranormal Suspense/Horror
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of dark fiction, horror, ghost stories
Trigger Warnings: domestic violence, stalking, murder

My Thoughts: This is my “scheduled” Random Read, as announced last month.

I lived in the Minneapolis area for about five and a half years, and the Uptown area—where most of this book is set—is indeed a very cool area. I always enjoyed going there to look around, shop, and just hang out. Downtown Minneapolis is mostly sterile, except for the main area where all the bars are, so I enjoyed having an interesting and vibrant part of the town to visit. I wish there had been more description of the area of the town beyond the very general one provided, but you can't have everything.

I was really bothered by how Ellie kept making excuses for Jake. Even she realized she was being ridiculous, but she kept doing it. That sort of thing makes me crazy. Why do women put up with these abusive, violent jerks, and feel guilty if they actually protect themselves in any way? I was also very bothered by how often people used one another's names. People quite simply do not use one another's names that often, and in this book almost every time someone spoke, they used the name of the person to whom they were speaking. It drove me crazy.

Other than that, the story was decent enough. The suspense and weirdness grew slowly and gradually, with plenty of red herrings thrown in to keep the reader off-balance. I think people who like dark, paranormal suspense and horror will enjoy this book, as well as those who like ghost stories. I was a bit worried that it would end up being too romance novel-ish, but it wasn't. The bits of romance are understated and far from generic in nature. Not a book I am crazy about, but it wasn't bad. Check it out if it sounds like something you'd like.

Series Information: Edge of Shadows (Shadows #1) is the first book in the Shadows series, and is currently free on Amazon. Shadows Deep is book 2, and Veiled Shadows is book 3. I have these other books on my wishlist, since I'm a bit curious to see what happens next, but haven't bought them yet because I'm not that curious. If I end up with copies, so be it.

Disclosure: I picked this book up for myself on Amazon during a KDP promotion. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Darkness has been Ellie Coulter's constant companion since her parents' untimely death when she was eight, and she harbors a secret that never fails to remind her that she's different than everyone else. Fresh off a failed marriage with a man who harbored his own dark secrets, Ellie shut herself off from the world as a form of self-preservation. For months, Ellie's protective bubble includes nothing but her coffee shop, her few friends, and her dog. The attention of a handsome young doctor, David Mitchell, pushes her out of her comfort zone, and Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found a risk worth taking. Then one of Ellie's friends abruptly leaves town; entrusting her home to Ellie's care. The house has its own mysterious past that draws Ellie into a tangled web of deceit. Her ex-husband resurfaces with premonitions of Ellie's death. And suddenly Ellie's life is being turned upside down yet again. Something old and evil has found Ellie, and wants to keep her all to itself. ( )

The story is pretty good with ghosts, an old house, premonitions and a good ending (it's a cliffhanger).

Ellie's friend asked her to take care of her house while she is away. Actually, the friend's creepy lover did that. Ellie didn't even had the chance to think about it. Annoying how Ellie let that happen as if it is perfectly normal not to talk to your friend about the house-sitting.

I understand Ellie had a hard life, that she grew up in foster care (never had any problems with those families), but everything about her is exaggerated. Her friends constantly walk on eggs around her. Every now and then they apologize to each other for one thing or another they said or did. And my favourite: she "had never had any use for the Internet before". She is thirty three, has her own coffee shop with free WiFi (not thanks to her though). She is quite unbelievable. She is so unremarkable I neither hate nor love her.
Maybe it's me, but I couldn't really see that great connection between David and Ellie.

The second half of the book is way more interesting than the first. The first is just: Ellie's issues.

There were quite a few roll-eyeing moments towards the end, the reason why Ellie and David are suitable for the main event being one of them. Still, not a bad story.

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