Review: Charmed and dangerous!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 26, 2013
The Charmed is book one in The Charmed Trilogy by Christine Wenrick and begins with us finding Olivia Ann Greyson, 26 year old music prodigy, on a train, traveling with her childhood best friend Sarah. Uneasy and sensing that something is wrong - Olivia's instincts turn out to be absolutely correct.  What results sets off an epic event that is sure to change Olivia's life for ever and show her that what she thought was the stuff of nightmares may in fact be a reality after all.Caleb Wolfe is a young vampire and he has just rescued / saved Olivia from a coven of evil Nightwalkers, intent on having her for their own.  While Olivia has just found out that vampire exist - she is scared, confused and afraid.  Devastated at the loss that she just experienced and the realization that she has just come to know - Olivia struggles with being under Caleb's protective care. But as Caleb and Olivia soon understand - that fateful night was not their first meeting.  They have met before - years ago.  And that moment in time had forever been etched in Olivia's mind.  And once she realizes who Caleb is and what he means to her past - it awakens inside her feelings that she has never felt before.As Olivia recognizes that she is beginning to feel strongly for Caleb, she also realizes that something is changing inside of her.  She no longer needs her glasses that she has had since she was a small child and that her injuries are healing much faster than they should be for a human.  Not knowing what is wrong or what she is experiencing - Caleb's coven decides its best if Olivia leaves before Caleb gets too far invested and breaks any rules.  Once back home - Olivia notices that her appearance has now changed and she is soon approached by two men Gideon and Alec from The Brethren, who say that they know what is wrong with Olivia and that they can help her.  Having no one else to turn to - Olivia trusts them and soon finds out that what she has been experiencing isn't at all what she thought it was.Can Caleb fit into her new life and will he want to once he finds out what Olivia really is?  There is only one way to find out....Let me start off by saying - DO NOT start this book before bed... you have been warned!!  This is definitely a - can not put down - pry my fingers from it - I went to bed at 4am - slept 3 hours - finished in one day kind of book!  I could absolutely not put this book down once I started it.  I had to and wanted to know what was going to happen next.  There are some extremely powerful scenes - like when Olivia must leave Caleb for the first time - for the sake of everyone's own good.  I was left a hot mess of tears, sniffles and tissues.  I can honestly say that I do not ever remember sobbing at a book this way before.  The connection between Olivia and Caleb struck me so deep by this moment that it was heart-breaking as this scene unfolded.  The connection, love and sincerity between Olivia and Caleb is truly palpable, in every sense of the word.  As Olivia's true nature is revealed - you soon realize that not even that will stop the two of them from being together!The secondary characters - Jax (alpha vampire of Caleb's coven) and Gemma (Dhampiresa of Caleb's coven) - are extraordinary characters that I loved from the moment I met them.  Gemma is quirky, fun and down to mean business when need be.  I love the fact that she leaves poems around the house.  I was intimately intrigued by her doing that - I kept asking myself does she know it's him that is reading them, keeping them.  Jax is a big, gruff, gentle giant of a vampire who collects Gemma's poems and collects them and is obviously so in love with her that I wanted to scream at him to tell her how he feels!  I sincerely hope to read more of Jax and Gemma in the future books, as the love Jax feels for her is so apparent and so raw that it is definitely a must continue.  Alec, is Olivia's Guardian in the Brethren - and while I believe he is pure of heart for his care and protection of Olivia - I did not care for him.  I believe I felt so strongly against him taking her from Caleb that I did not want anything to do with him.  Hopefully as the story unfolds in the next book I may grow to like him more but as of right now - not one of my favorites.As sleep deprived as I am - I am diving head first into the next book - The Charmed Souls...Erin KoisoThe Reading Cafe