Kimber
by Sarah Denier
Summary: Then there was…him
On rare occasions, some of us, the unlucky ones, stumble upon a false veil of reality hidden deep in the depths of the one we love. For eighteen-year-old Kimber Knowl, the fall had not been a leap of faith but a carefully choreographed deception.
Then there was…her
From birth Leo Chambers is conditioned for greatness; bred from the purest of bloodlines and sole heir of his family’s Nephilim council, a race descended from the first 9 Fallen Angels. And when the day of his Awakening arrives, igniting the purity of his blood, Leo finds that there is more to live for than honor.
They were…inevitable
The bonds of friendship guided the shared attraction between Kimber and Leo into a meaningful relationship. Little could set them apart until the heinous murder of Kimber’s mother. Then, not even the love Leo provides is strong enough to rescue Kimber from tribulation. Urged by the demands placed upon him, Leo leaves Kimber the night before her mother’s memorial. But if her mother’s death carried an underlined lesson, it would be suspicion. Following her gut and vital need for Leo, she follows him halfway across the world to Egypt, where she comes face to face with what existing in Leo’s reality truly means…..DEATH!
Source: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
Kimber was an interesting read. It didn’t follow the typical pattern I was expecting: boy meets girl, they fall for each other, girl finds out boy is otherworldly, conflict ensues, they still end up together. Instead, Kimber knows Leo. They’ve been friends for years. And then one day, she can’t remember him at all. Because the book didn’t follow any sort of pattern I’m used to seeing in books with similar plots, I never knew what was going to happen next. I was on the edge of my seat, thoroughly unable to predict what would happen next.
I loved the setting of the book because I’m familiar with that area of Florida. The Tampa area is where my husband and I go fishing out on the boat a few times each year, and also where my husband is from. Kimber’s observations about the beautiful beaches and the water really spoke to me because I spend a lot of time on the water in Tampa Bay and I feel that way looking at it. I take a lot of pictures when I visit the area that are completely breathtaking, so I felt like I understood Kimber’s reflections.
What I loved about Kimber was Kimber’s character. The death of her mother changes her and she struggles throughout the book to figure out who she really is. Even when she tried to live as normal as possible, she was different and she was constantly coping with her loss. I liked the wide range of emotions she had and the way she remained stubborn and focused and tried to gather her own strength. She was a complicated character.
The book is written from Kimber’s point of view and she was ignorant the world around her. At first, it was frustrating because I knew Leo wiped her memory, but when she woke up, she had no idea anything happened. I had to wait for her to put all the pieces together. While it was frustrating, I also liked it because so many books have a first person narration where the character is either extremely quick to figure things out or she knows way too much about the world around her. It was really interesting to watch Kimber put everything together and it kept me on the edge of my seat because I didn’t know what would happen, either.
I wished the book was longer or it explored some of the avenues in it a little better and more in depth. I wanted a little bit more from the story, mostly after the halfway point. I felt like the pacing was great, but once Kimber discovered the secrets, everything sped up too much. I also felt the ending was abrupt and I wanted more, which is both a good and bad thing, I suppose! There are a few errors - nothing that I felt distracted me too much while reading, but I always mention when I notice errors because I know it bothers some readers.
**UPDATE: I discovered Kimber is part of a trilogy, so my issues with certain issues being left unexplored and the ending being abrupt are moot since there is MORE to the story. This news makes me extremely happy!**
I would recommend Kimber to others, especially if you enjoy YA/NA paranormal romances, but want something a little unpredictable. It was a refreshing read and I think others will like Kimber's character as much as I did and also appreciate the various types of cute guys that make an appearance throughout the book!
Labels: Review, YA
