Christine Hughes

Three Days of Rain
by Christine Hughes
4*



I'm vacillating on how to rate this. I ended up going high because I'll be thinking about this for a while. This started off as a nice, if typical, romance then spiraled into something that would trigger anyone's depression, yet somehow ended on a hopeful note.

How much bad luck could a guy have, for goodness' sake? Jacob Morgan has been in a two-year-long stupor after his life is shattered by a woman whose name is spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E. A new girl comes to town for the summer, working at her Uncle Billy's bar, before heading off to Atlanta to start her new career. Lily Burns sees that Jake needs a friend and slowly breaks down all the barriers he has put up to help him come back to life again. All throughout, we learn of Jake's past through flashbacks, and through conversations with Lily as Jake slowly opens up to her.

The two have just fallen in love and are trying to figure out where things will go, when Jake's ex returns and once again wreaks havoc throughout the town. Similar to how real life can surprise us, this book has some twists and turns that will leave you speechless.… (mais)

Torn is a wonderful YA Paranormal book about a 17 year old girl, Samantha, which holds the key to tipping the scales between good and evil, she just doesn’t know it quite yet. There is plenty of suspense, with a touch of romance to piqué a reader’s interest. Samantha’s two best friends, Lucas and Ethan, move in to help care for her after her father’s untimely and mysterious passing, and she soon finds out that things are not exactly as they appear to be. Her father is not who she thought he was, he was not the doctor she thought he was, heck, she isn’t even sure who she is anymore! She has moments of unexplained temper tantrums, and things start to whirl out of her control, and out of her hands.

Samantha has the weight of the world on her shoulders, for her path alone determines whether the world will be controlled by the Faithful, or the Exiled. Unfortunately, she has an internal storm brewing, she was born to be an Exiled, but she believes she can remain on the side of the Faithful like her father was able to. But can a 17 year old really be able to fight the demons inside that are itching to get out?

Lucas and Ethan made a promise to Samantha’s father to help train her and prepare her for the inevitable fight, and train her they will. They have to relocate twice to keep Sebastian, the leader of the Exiled, from gaining control over Samantha; until she is strong enough to fight back. But things, and people, are not always what they appear to be. Samantha soon learns who her true friends are, when one person she thought she could put her faith and trust into betrays her and the Faithful to stand next to the leader of the Exiled. Is a betrayal like that ever forgivable?

One of the lessons this book teaches that I really like is that we are all given the free-will to choose which path in life we will follow- good or evil. Regardless of what blood we were born with, it is ultimately up to us. One of my favorite lines from this book that is repeated a few times toward the end is: “Anger fueled by love will not condemn you. Anger in spite of love makes you no better than those you seek to destroy”.

I highly recommend this book to those who like reading about Fallen Angels, or any YA lover, and I look forward to reading more from this wonderful author.
… (mais)

I was gifted a copy from the author for an honest review. This is a series I am sure to follow because I love reading about angels. Ms. Hughes has got my attention on this one. So if angels and demons is something you enjoy reading then pick this book up.
Samantha isn’t allowed to mourn the loss of her father. She’s training on a daily basis and not sure exactly why certain talents are coming out in her. But she hears a voice of someone that is calling to her to join them and it’s getting closer. Lucas and Ethan have taken Sam under their wings to train her and have been her best friends since she can remember. She is a chosen one that will decide whos side she is going to be on. But with the blood lines she holds in her, her choice is going to be tougher than she even thinks. She knows which side she should be on, but will that be easily decided as she experiences different feelings and obstacles? Especially when she comes face to face with Sebastian the one that killed her father?… (mais)

I was gifted a copy from the author for an honest review. This was a true treat for me. This is the first book I have read from Ms. Hughes and I plan on reading more. The story and characters were very well written and believable. I found myself not putting this down till I finished the last page. It’s a very heartwarming story that will have you rooting for the main characters and wanting to hold their hands and guide them thru the traumas life throws their way. Jake is terribly wounded by his relationship with Mattie so much so that it still haunts him. When Lily comes into town to visit with her Uncle Billy for the summer, she’s going to try and break down the wall Jake has put around him and see who the real person is behind all the pain. Is Jake’s wall too thick for anyone to really break thru even though he has the best supportive family and possibly a new friend? How much damage has Mattie done to Jake’s heart?
If there ever was a book I’d ask my friends to pick up and read, this would be the one. Thank you for such a well written story for all of us to read Ms. Hughes.… (mais)