I just finished this and all I can say at this exact moment is wow. It's an awesome story that I'm excited to continue reading. I'm definitely going to write a more in-depth review, I just need a bit of time to process my thoughts.

ETA

My initial reaction on completing this was simply: wow.

I absolutely loved this book. It's not perfect, I'll admit, but it's close.

The main pull that had me wanting to read this book is the element of Wicca. Wicca has been a subject that's been of great interest to me over the last few years. My favorite show of all time is Charmed. It's got strong storylines and powerful female role models, and so does this story. I love stories with powerful witches in them. I also enjoy the connection to nature, and simplicity, and peace that Wicca can bring.

This story had all those things and more.

Not everything, or everyone, is always as they seem. Sophia is a typical 20 something, just finished college and moved back home. The people in her town are wary of her, suspicious even, because she practices Wicca. She tries her best to ignore them, but even she has her limits. One night her friend Ivory invites her out to a club, under the pretense of having some fun, and little does she know the people that she meets there and the events that unfold will change her path, and her life, forever.

This book is full of action, suspense, and romance all at once.

I have to admit, that once I learned that there were vampires, my enthusiasm sagged slightly. I was thinking, "Oh no, same tired thing again, witches falling for vampires." And while some of the information is the same, there are a lot of twists and differences to keep your interest. I don't want to give anything away, but trust me, it's different.

I love the attention to detail that the author has. This is just one example that sticks out in my mind, but it works really well. For Sophia's love interest Charles, Hamilton gives him teal colored eyes. Not blue, not green, not even blue-green, but teal. In that simple word choice she had me hooked in to his character and to rooting for him and Sophia as a couple.

The romance between them is just right. Mature, simple, not overly exaggerated. It made me catch my breath a few times, I'll admit.

The concept of a Forever Girl is a new spin on reincarnation. I really enjoyed the idea of this. It's done in a way that I've not read before, and it's a powerful way to let Sophia's past come to light and to complete the strengthening of her magic.

I could probably go on and on about this book but I won't ramble on with too many more details. I don't want to give too much away. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, I hope it's just as good if not better than this one.


*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review* ( )

I received this book on Librarything from the author. Thank you Rebecca Hamilton!! I really enjoyed this book and all of the characters. It kept me interested until the end. I would definitely recommend this to others! ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. I've never really read anything that pertained to Wiccans, and this was a perfect book to start with. It explained the purpose of the rituals and all that goes into them. That's great for a reader like me, that wouldn't have known otherwise.

Sophia is a character that believes she can take care of herself. She finds it hard to trust others and ask for help. Most of this has to do with her relationship with her mother. My only complaint is that we didn't see more of her father. I would have liked to see her interact with him. But, wow, her mother is something else.

Charles is such an interesting character. Half the time I didn't know if I wanted to slap him or kiss him. I did secretly love his arrogance. Nothing is sexier than confidence. Just sayin. I also love the fact that he is so protective of Sophie regardless of whether he thinks he should be. He takes an interest in keeping her safe.

There were a ton of twists that I never saw coming. People I thought they weren't who they turned out to be. It also explains why Sophie has such a hard time trusting others.

Forever Girl is a book for those between YA and adult urban fantasy. It's not raunchy or anything like that. There's just a few cuss words, and creative writing when it came to overwhelming feelings. ;)

This is such a unique look into the world of vampires, shifters, and witches. It's not what I expected, and I'm extremely happy about that. The book was creative and the perfect length. I can't wait for the next installment. ( )

The Forever Girl (The Forever Girl #1) by Rebecca Hamilton

Sophia Parsons is a twenty-two year old Wiccan. When a spell goes wrong her whole world changes. She hears voices in her head, but doesn't want to tell anyone. Not sure what she just got herself into, she is about to find out, like it or not.

She meets Charles, a shape-shifter. She falls for him but can he be trusted? She soon learns she must use all her skills including some dark magic to keep herself and her friends alive. And she will have to trust Charles to accomplish this dangerous task.

A well written story. I really liked Sophia, living with a bi-polar mother is not easy for her. Yet she strives to be normal and to accept who she is. Charles is likable as well. At times I was not sure if he could be trusted but he fits perfectly into the story.

The story is very original, has a perfect blend of suspense, drama, magic, mystical beings, horror and a bit of romance. Some characters are likable and others are not. A definite edge-of-your-seat read. I feel that those who love (dark) fantasy/paranormal/witches will enjoy The Forever Girl ( )

2.5-3
OK, I have mixed feelings on this book. Reading it was an experience good and bad. It was all over the place. The story was interesting the world was unique and had so much potential....but the author keep going off on extreme details that had nothing to do with the story. I think she has great potential, with a really good editor. Her world building was very good as was her character development. Fantastic characters ! Edited I think it could jump to a 4 star. Really a great job for a first book. I will watch for future books from this author. ( )