Mundie Moms

Monday, September 5, 2011

Book Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray


Published by: Harper Teen
To Be Released on: September 13th, 2011
Source: ARC from publisher to review
5 stars- I Loved It!

In Fateful, eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, overbearing family she works for. Once the ship they’re sailing on reaches the United States, she’ll strike out on her own. Then she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves are real and they’re stalking him—and now Tess, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.Featuring the opulent backdrop of the Titanic, Fateful’s publication is poised to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the ship’s doomed maiden voyage. It is sure to be a hit among Titanic buffs and fans of paranormal romance alike.

A compelling story with an enticing paranormal romance, an engaging story line and a beautiful retelling of the heartbreaking tragedy of the Titanic, Fateful is a book that I sat and devoured in one sitting. Claudia Gray has written a story that is captivating, well researched and incredibly written.

Aside from being a fabulous paranormal story, I loved the historical part of Fateful. Claudia did a brilliant job with her detailed writing and how she handled the entire voyage of the Titanic. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was so engaged with the romance, the paranormal twists and everything else that was happening, that my worries and fears for who would survive subsided until the moment the ship hits the ice burg. Claudia threw in some fabulous twists that kept this story well paced and kept me hooked until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed being taken back in time and feeling as though I was aboard the Titanic with this great cast of characters.

There's few books that I read and end up enjoying most every character I read about, and Fateful is one of them. Claudia's characters are so well written, in-depth, and despite some of them being paranormals, they felt believable to me. It wasn't hard for me to fall in love with some of the main characters and even the secondary characters, as they were easy to imagine, and even the villain was easy to despise. He was so well written. Talk about a fabulous evil guy.

The story is centered on Tess, a servant girl from England who's traveling with the family she works for to the US. I really admired Tess's strength. She's had to deal with a lot of crap in her life, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to fulfill her dreams. In fact it makes her that much more determined to follow them. Tess inadvertently finds herself in the middle of a world she had no idea existed, and that puts her life in grave danger. Her reactions to some of the events that unfold aboard the Titanic are really credible. I'd be in state of shock if I found myself witnessing some of the things she does as well.

The romance is so awesome! I love a well written time period romance. I really enjoyed the way Claudia developed the relationship between Alex and Tess. It's not a rushed, instant love kind of romance, but a well thought out, well written one that develops through out the course of the book. Alex is such a fabulous love interest. He's a tortured soul, but in a way that I totally understood why. He and Tess really bring out the best in each other. There romance is so addicting, I couldn't get enough of it! The sacrifices they make for each other totally made me cry! Not that I didn't except to cry since the story is set on the Titanic.

Fateful has the perfect blend of historical references, romance and paranormal activity that fans of Claudia Gray, romance, history and paranormal books will really enjoy this one. I am in love with this book and it's ending is fabulous! I'm not sure if this is going to be a series or have a sequel, but whether it's a stand alone or not, this is a book I highly recommend picking up. There is some very mild language and a implied sexual scene. This is a book I'd recommend to readers 13 yrs & older.

9 comments:

  1. I love stories about the Titanic. I cannot wait for this book to come out, and your review only made me want to read it more (lol).

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  2. Aimee- I do too! Claudia has done such a fabulous job with this story. I'm excited for you to read it.

    Rebecca- I'm so glad you loved it too! It's such a well written book.

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  3. Great review! This sounds awesome. I was weary that it was about the Titanic (we know what happens) but I'm glad the paranormals made the story twisty enough to be fresh.

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  4. This book sounds really good. I'm glad to hear that the romance in this novel is spectacular. Great review! :)

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  5. P.E.- Thank you so much! The paranormal twist is fabulous. It definitely creates a fresh spin on such a tragic story.

    Sophia- Thank you. The romance is brilliant. I really love the way Claudia created it.

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  6. I don't know why I haven't paid more attention to this book -- your review totally won me over. It's going on my to-read list STAT!

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  7. I completely fell in love with Fateful too! Everything from the romance and the paranormal aspect to the details of the Titanic drew me in. Loved. The. Book. Thanks for the review!

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  8. Anna- Aw, thank you! It's definitely a wonderful read and one I highly recommend picking up. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

    Midnight Bloom- You're welcome & thank you for your comment. I agree with everything you said. Everything about this book made me fall in love with it. I loved it!

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