Monday, May 30, 2016

Immortal Flame (Hell to Pay #1) by Jillian David Review

Hey readers! Happy Monday. Hope you're all gearing up for an awesome Memorial Day weekend. I know I am! Before you get to the partying, I've got a new review to share with you all. I've been on a bit of a contemporary romance kick lately and thought it was time to switch it up. Thankfully I got an awesome review request from today's author that was just the ticket I was looking for. What are we raving about today? Immortal Flame by Jillian David. Here's a bit about the novel and our author before we get to my thoughts:

World War II veteran Peter Blackstone traded his soul so that his wife could live. That was 1945. Since then, Peter has lived an unnaturally long life as a hired killer, providing the life forces upon which Jerahmeel feeds to survive.

Doctor Allison La Croix has a big problem. She randomly sees people’s deaths. She has longed to be free of her twisted "gift" to live a normal life without fear of predicting yet another loved one's demise.

After a horrific accident, a severely injured Peter arrives in Allison’s ER. The vision Allison experiences when she touches him nearly kills her. He teaches her to block these devastating episodes as she finds a way to unlock his forgotten, passionate soul.

But Jerahmeel’s minion has orders to destroy Peter and anyone he loves. Will Peter’s and Allison’s shattered souls survive the devious plan? Or could their love save them both? Someone will have hell to pay.


     


Jillian David

Jillian David lives near the end of the Earth with her nut of a husband and two bossy cats. To escape the sometimes-stressful world of the rural physician, she writes while on call and in her free time. She enjoys taking realistic settings and adding a twist of “what if.” Running or hiking on local trails often promotes plot development.








*****
My Thoughts:

I'll be the first to admit that I love a good paranormal romance story, but it has to be special. Something I haven't seen a million times before. Something that will stick with me. Unique characters, an original plot, and a twit. It's been a good while since I found a good paranormal romance series with a hook that left me wanting more. Then Immortal Flame fell into my inbox.

I have to say, when it comes to stories with soldiers or vets as the main characters, I oftentimes will skip them. In my experience the authors generally rely too much on the what ifs and the traumatic past of the characters and we never really find a story to be told in the present frame. For that reason alone, I was more than a little hesitant to start Immortal Flame, but I am so glad I did.

From the opening chapter, I knew this one was different. David has done an absolutely incredible job of developing a unique plot through the emotionally driven character development. It's about so much more than love and romance when the Devil himself is the man you're forced to serve. When Peter traded his soul during his service in WWII so his wife could live, he never expected to face the trials he has for near seventy years. Forced into servitude, he is slated to spend eternity look for his one Meaningful Kill to fulfill his contract and set himself free. When Allison arrives in his life by mere chance, he realizes that there are more important things than freedom at stake. After all he's been through can he find love yet again? Is there another chance for his happiness?

I won't lie, Immortal Flame was strangely emotional for me. It's truly a tale of redemption and second chances. David does an incredible job with her character development. While Allison was a fantastic character to follow throughout the story, Peter was really the one the stuck with me. It isn't often in this genre we see a strong male lead that isn't completely conformed to the mold of genre convention, but David really shown bright in this aspect.

The story is a quick read full of action, reflection, and emotion enough to satisfy all readers. The paranormal element is certainly present but definitely a whole lot more mild than it could have been and I definitely appreciated that. The fact that David crafted a paranormal romance that didn't rely solely on the paranormal element, yet was still a wholly satisfying read really speaks volumes to her talent as an author. I know this reader will be more than excited about devouring the remainder of this series.

In the end, I was more than satisfied by my first read from author Jillian David, It was everything I was looking for in a short paranormal romance and then some. I definitely have no regrets in check out this unique tale! All-in-all, I am granting Immortal Flame a well-earned 4-star review. But don't take my word for it, head on over and grab a copy for yourself today. You won't regret it! Add it to your TBR today!

*****

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Immortal Flame by Jillian David. A fun, quick read that left me definitely interested in checking out the remainder of the series. Be sure to add this paranormal romance to your TBR today. Special thanks to the author for supplying me with a copy in exchange for my honest review. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

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