Thursday, December 29, 2016

Let's Talk: Trying To Live With The Dead

Title: Trying To Live With The Dead
Author: B.L. Brunnemer
Series: "The Veil Diaries" #1
Genre: RH Paranormal Romance
Page Length: 351 pages
Publication Date: December 6, 2016
Date Started: December 28, 2016
Date Finished: December 29, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars 

*May contain mild spoilers*

The moment I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I needed it in my life. Sadly, I had to wait until after buying Christmas presents for my family and friends. But the moment after, I bought this book so fast, I didn't even think about the purchase. I started reading it and by the middle of the next day, I had finished it. One of the most climactic scenes of the whole book happened right as I had to go to a dentist appointment, meaning I had to lay there for a half hour wondering what was going to happen next. It was pretty close to agony. 

I sped through this book. I stayed up until 1 am reading this book. I neglected my chores, eating, and my poor bank account (I found the paperback edition and bought it immediately before writing this review) due to this book, and I would do it all again. This book was fantastic.

At first, I was a little apprehensive. When I first opened the book on my phone, there was just one big page of text. Apart from dialogue, there were no paragraph breaks. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to read it, but I persevered and the problem was either remedied quickly or I was so caught up in the story that I didn't notice it anymore. There were quite a few punctuation errors, but I didn't care--I was just too engrossed in the plot and characters. Those were my few and only qualms with this book.

I loved the characters. As this is a reverse harem story, things can get a little cliche sometimes. There were some cliches here, like the hot, young guys welcoming the new, lonely girl into their group the first day they meet, or the occasional damsel in distress moments. But this book was also unique and set apart from other RH stories I've read. Most of my favorites are nothing alike, and that is a good thing!

The main character sometimes needs supporting and help, but she's also pretty freaking badass and isn't afraid to stand up for herself. She also talks to ghosts! So freaking cool! Lexie is just one of those main characters you can't help but fall in love with. She's witty and sarcastic, protective of her friends, kind and caring, and a total badass main character. She had been through hell and back before the beginning of the book and still wasn't broken. I loved her character so much.

Then we have the guys, aka Ethan and Isaac (the twins), Zeke, Miles, and Asher. Each of them have their own backstories (not that we got to see them all in this beginning novel), their own problems, and their own different personalities. Sometimes with RH novels, it's easy to let all the guys have the same personalities with only slightly differentiating features. That was not the case here.

Each and every one of them had something different about them that really stood out. Zeke was overprotective and caring (he reminded me of North from the Ghost Bird series by C.L. Stone). Miles was sometimes blunt but he was caring and would go out of his way to try and figure out how to help his friends. Isaac was pretty funny but also protective and didn't take anybody's shit. Ethan was always there to support his friends and he always seemed to know what was going on. Asher always stuck by Lexie when it came to dealing with his bullying sister or Lexie's cousin. Each of the guys was there for Lexie (and she was there for them) even in situations that weren't dangerous. They had problems they were dealing with and things they were trying to overcome just like Lexie had, and that was one of the main reasons why these characters were so fantastic.

Not only were the characters fantastic, but the plot was too. Most of the time it focused either on the guys and Lexie or on dealing with this particularly nasty ghost. There were times when it was just Lexie and the guys hanging out and eating soup. There were other times when Lexie was fighting off an evil ghost. I loved how this book balanced the light, fluffy scenes with the suspenseful and slightly scary ghost scenes. To be completely honest, there were times I was a little scared. I don't do scary books, but this one was so amazing I had to keep reading (even though it was one am and pitch black)! I couldn't help but need to know what was going to happen next. 

Between the characters and the fantastic plot, I'm hooked. I can't wait for the next book (which is coming out so soon!). I am excited to see how Lexie grows as a person and as someone who can see ghosts. I'm even more excited to see how the guys and her's relationship continues on (as there wasn't any romance between any of them in this book, even though it's RH). I also am hoping that sometime in the next few books Rory finds someone nice. It would be great if Tara and Lexie could settle their differences and become really close; maybe then Lexie could have a non-guy friend. Whatever happens next, I'm excited and eager! 

All in all, this was a marvelously spooky yet fluffy book perfect for fans of C.L. Stone, Jane Washington, and Lane Whitt. It is quite a nice length and definitely worth the price (especially with such a gorgeous cover). The characters will have you falling in love and the plot will have you coming back for more. It's hard to find a book that's quite like it and I have the giant urge to go reread my favorite scenes as this review comes to a close. I think I'll go do that.

Book Links
Author's website
Goodreads
Amazon


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Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren :)

P.S. This was my 100th book of the year! I made my goal!


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8 comments:

  1. Absolutely can not wait to read this book!

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  2. Well this first book was an amazing start to your series. I cant wait to see what is in store for these characters and I'm so happy that it is RH because I most definitely don't have a favorite. <3

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  3. Can't wait for the second book! So excited!!

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  4. Loved it! I read the sample and immediately purchased. So glad I did. I definitely will be looking for the next in the series! I NEED to know more of the guys backstory!!!! What is it that they won't share? I'm also not a big reader of "ghost" stories but I'm actually totally invested in the Veil and how the ghosts are blocked etc. I love new takes on paranormal ideas.

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    1. I'm so interested in learning about what they are hiding! I'm really hoping in book 2 we get to see a lot of depth and background from their characters. Hopefully in this book they'll all start sharing and revealing to Lexie just like she did with them :)

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  5. Can't wait to read it! Thanks for sharing. How do you track your book count? And was it 100 netbooks or do re-reads count? :-)

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    1. I just keep a blog post open throughout the whole year and whenever I read a book (new or a reread) I track it in there :)

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