Review: A Wonderful Read!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 27, 2012
I really enjoyed that this is an adult novel, but not in the sexual sense.  It's very well written, with a little romance, but it's not over the top and it's a very clean read.  While there is a serial killer on the loose, Grace spares her readers the gruesome details, leaving it all to the imagination, which, in my opinion, is sometimes more graphic than actually putting it in words, depending on the reader.  It is refreshing to read a well-written psychological thriller that not only glues the reader to the pages as it unfolds, but also keeps the plotline wholesome.  I love this genre, but very often I find that this type of writing gives too many bloody details, or revolves around a character's sexual fantasies, and those things tend to make me ill.  Fate doesn't do either, focusing mainly on Kris and her precognition as she comes to terms with her stalker.What starts out as a routine story about three friends quickly turns into one woman's nightmare as she is targeted by a relentless serial killer.  The fact that Kris' pre-cognition tips her off that something terrible is coming deepens the suspense within the novel, and I really enjoyed it.  While I wasn't sure where the story was headed in the very beginning, Grace quickly makes it clear as she sets up the background for the story through a sleepover at Kris's secluded beach home.  Friends Roni and Cassie are more or less minor characters, but they help set the tone of the story prior to the plot thickening and the imminent danger being revealed.I really liked that Kris didn't attempt to battle her stalker all on her own.  This isn't one of those silly horror stories where the main character is too stubborn to ask for help.  While Kris originally chalks up her premonitions to paranoia, when it becomes clear to her that she is in real danger, she seeks help.  This adds to the believability of the novel, and made me really like Kris as a character.  Although she is pre-cognitive, adding a paranormal feel to this novel, she isn't stubborn and she makes logical choices, first alerting her dreamy neighbor, Nick, and then the police.  The cast of characters that Grace presents here are extremely interesting and easily likeable, all except the stalker, Damien, and I thoroughly enjoyed having an insider's view into his mind as it allows the reader to see just how much of a twisted genius he really is.This novel is a roller coaster ride of emotion, leaving the reader in constant suspense as s/he knows what's coming, but not when it will happen.  This is a truly great read, and with a little more editing and fine-tuning in terms of the few grammatical errors and typos, this story will be perfect.  Overall, I am very impressed by this first novel in the trilogy, and will definitely be reading the next two novels, Spellbound and Destiny, especially as each sequel will focus on a different heroine.  In Fate, Roni and Cassie are only side characters, and the reader learns just enough about them to whet the appetite, but there is room for them to grow.  And it looks like that is exactly what Grace plans to do, giving both Roni and Cassie their own novel in this trilogy.  I can't wait. Four and a half stars.