Shadows  - Paula Weston

My Rating – 4 Stars

 

*I received copy a of this novel free from LibraryThing on behalf of Textbook Publishing*

 

I requested this book at the insistence of my a twitter friend; she assured me that I would love it, and you know what? She’s right.

 

Gaby has been existing, not really living, for the past year. She witnessed her twin brother dying in a very horrific car accident the year before. She barely made it out of the accident alive and lives every day with the guilt being the surviving twin and the grief of losing her brother.

 

Her memory of life before the accident is fuzzy and she has some pretty scary ass nightmares every night that center around fighting monsters and a sexy man she named Matt. Though she doesn’t ever talk about the accident, she has a wonderful and understanding friend in her roommate, Maggie. Her life in Pan Beach, Australia is laid back and exactly what she needs right now.

 

Gaby decides to enter a writing contest on a website with a thousand dollar prize and she uses her disturbing dreams as a plot for a story. Shortly after posting the story online, the man from her dreams appears in the bar she frequents. Only his name is not Matt, it’s Rafa and he claims to be her brother’s best friend. He also calls her Gabe and wonders how Gaby is still alive when he assumed she was dead like her brother.

 

She has no memory of this supposed best friend of her brothers but she feels like she knows him (I mean, she does dream about him every night) and he’s got the pictures to back up his story. So who is this super handsome stranger that talks to her like he knows her but calls her the wrong name?

 

After a random public make-out session with this Rafa person, and a sudden violent attack by people called the Rephaim that claim Gaby is lying about not remembering her life before the accident Gaby begins questioning who she really is. This is where Rafa should come in a explain things but the story comes out in bits and pieces (which actually kind of annoyed me. Gaby would get into trouble or do/say something and Rafa would be like “oh yea you need to know this blah blah blah”)
Someone (thing? Things?) has gone to great trouble to make Gaby forget that she used to be a badass.

 

This book is pretty much nonstop action, which I loved. I didn’t trust a damn person in this book; everyone seems to have their own agenda. Daniel, a leader of the Rephaim is just a dick, and not a fun cocky kind of a dick like Rafa. He’s just an a-hole.

 

I have a love/hate relationship with Rafa. He’s funny, good looking, and obviously cared a lot about Jude and Gabe. But he’s cocky as hell because he knows he’s funny and good looking and a damn good fighter and that annoyed me a bit. I don’t know, the good looking cocky guy just gets old sometimes, ya know? And his constant need to not reveal all the information to Gaby does get old.

 

However Gaby, I really liked her. She’s mouthy and strong and independent and though there is some strong sexual tension between her and Rafa, the center of her thoughts are her brother and keeping her friends safe.

 

The book was good. Interesting plot with a great main character and lots of action. And tons of questions yet to be answered!

 

I recommend!