Review: Thrilling Action-Packed Read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 20, 2013
Reading Eternity was like riding a roller coaster blindfolded! It was an adrenaline-packed story that claimed my attention from start to finish. The story is full of exciting twists and turns leading me up an angsty, steep incline before accelerating and plummeting into a series of back-to-back loops that definitely put my mind through its paces!Roman Nicolis is a gorgeous, dark-haired, blue-eyed immortal who has been cursed to roam the earth from one century to the next without ever being able to have the only woman he will ever love. His love is reincarnated over a period of several lifetimes; sometimes, he manages to find her during one of her lives, but even if he does, he can never have her. He has never been able to claim her as his soul mate. Two thousand years of torment have drained his hopes of them ever reuniting.I did take a moment to consider whether I really wanted to put myself through the emotional turmoil of reading about two people who love each other but are always fated to be apart. Why should I put myself through that? Is there even such a thing as a soul mate? Will the author be able to show me the depth of the love that exists between Roman and Stella so that I can feel the magnetic draw they have toward each other?  I had my doubts when I started the book, but by the end, Stephens makes it work for me. I appreciated her exploration into the concept and definition of a soul mate because it made me question my own beliefs as well.Eternity is not a mindless read. I had to pay attention to the numerous characters who are introduced and try to figure out why they are important to the story and how they connect to a complex plot that is slowly unfolding around Roman and his Brothers' security firm who have been hired to protect Stella from a serial killer who has already tried to kill her once. Both Roman and Stella have secrets that need to shared, and I couldn't wait to find out exactly what Roman did to cause him to lose everyone he loved.  What will it take to break the curse?  Or does Roman even want to try anymore?  He doesn't seem to want to face more rejection and can't handle losing the only woman he will ever love again. Furthermore, even though Stella feels a connection to Roman, she doesn't understand why, and her initial conclusion doesn't have anything to do with him being her one true love.  To compound the situation, Stella has had a rough past that has left her with unresolved abandonment and intimacy issues. She doesn't like to rely on anyone, especially Roman, and the effort to get her to trust him seems like a losing battle at times.Overall, Roman and Stella are well-developed protagonists, and they aren't perfect. Just when I think Stella might give Roman a chance, he does something that no woman would appreciate, and his thoughtless actions are hurtful.  Stella also frustrated me at times.  Her reactions to Roman ranged from hot to cold with little warmth in between, and her attitude and behavior were childish in some scenes when she tries to push him away. However, by the end I had a lot more respect for her. The story is told from numerous characters' POVs and although doing so adds depth to the story, in some places the shifts between scenes and POVs are abrupt and unexpected.The plot is filled with mystery, treachery, sensual romance, and an Egyptian underworld of the dead with rulers who give the concept of dysfunctional family a whole new meaning. I enjoyed this first book even though I have so many, many questions that are still unanswered. The drama is far from over!  I look forward to reading Everlasting next, and I anticipate the reading experience to be just as thrilling as with this first book.I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.