Review: Definite A rating....
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 19, 2012
My Review:This book was so good. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but it far surpassed whatever those expectations were. What makes this book so good is the incredibly creative story line... so imaginative and even a little bit eerie that there could be people like Jase and his counterparts out there....and what they are is real live angels and "others" working to balance the world in different ways.Seven years ago, Jase woke up on a park bench with absolutely no recollection of how he got there or who he is. The only clues he has about anything is a tattoo'ed 40 on his arm and an indent on his ring finger with a tan line to match. He feels an inexplicable draw to certain people and soon realizes that's because they are about to die and he has the ability to save them. Along with this ability has come something else. Simply by saying something to someone, he can bend them to his will. This other ability allows him to function and do his job, but it's also a curse because no one can resist the allure of his voice....No. One. And it's not something that he can control...it just is, which sounds really cool on the surface, but the guy hasn't even been able to sleep with anyone over the years without it feeling like he's raping them. He knows they have no resistance to him. He would pull it back if he could.That's why it's such an amazing breath of fresh air when he meets Lucas...his voice doesn't affect Lucas in any way, shape, or form. Even better, Lucas likes him and is attracted to him. This is the first true, real connection Jase has had to another person in 7 years...that's HUGE to him. The problem is...Lucas is a social worker who's trying to protect Macy. Jase is trying to protect Macy too, but Lucas doesn't trust him. But then they both realize that someone else is out to get Macy so they have to team up to save this precious little girl.This is a book with a lot of twists and turns. The book starts out with Jase waking up seven years ago and what happened to him when he first wakes up. It's taken 7 years to do his 40 souls and throughout the book, you get to see some of those cases. This poor guy has NOT had an easy 7 years...at all... and your heart just aches for him. On the flip side of Lucas....he's a social worker with real skill and heart about what he does. You can see that he is definitely one of the good guys. And another unexpected character in the story is actually the town of Naples, FL. This book is NOT an ad for tourism. Whoa! The book presents an almost apocalyptical feel to this town that's been hit really hard by the economic and real estate down-turn. Really depressing and sad, especially for the people like Macy's family trying to survive there.In the middle of all this mystery, suspense, and upheaval is Jase and Lucas. They are literally running for their lives. Along with that are a lot of open-ended questions about when this 40th soul is saved.... what it means for Jase and his life. It's certainly not the perfect place for romance, but Jase and Lucas find it anyway. And I like how subtly that was woven into the story. This is a true romance.... it's not really sexual... circumstances keep that away. Instead it's a story about feelings and how they develop between these two men. It was really beautifully written. I liked it... a LOT!I received a complimentary copy of this book  in return for an honest review.