Shimmer by Paula Weston

Gaby thought her life couldn't get more complicated.

She's almost used to the idea that she's not the teenage backpacker she thought she was. She can just about cope with being one of the Rephaim—a 139-year-old half-angel—whose memories have been stolen. She's even coming to grips with the fact that Jude, the brother she's mourned for a year, didn't die at all.

But now Rafa—sexy, infuriating Rafa—is being held, and hurt, by Gatekeeper demons. And Gaby has to get the bitterly divided Rephaim to work together, or Rafa has no chance at all.

It's a race against time—and history. And it may already be too late. 

I have been dying to get my hands on the 3rd book of the Rephaim series ever since Haze officially turned the Rephaim series into my favourite angel series ever. My expectation for Shimmer was crazy high, I missed those characters and so needed to hang out again. I was coming off the back off a major book slump when Shimmer finally arrived -- making my hopes even higher for the perfect reading escape (also placing pressure on Shimmer to deliver). You guys, it 100% does not disappoint. 

Shimmer starts minutes after where Haze left off -- and  things are straight-up intense and complicated when the outcasts and the Sanctuary Rephaim are reunited. Decade old tensions are coupled with immediate danger, torn loyalties, serious shock and high emotions. Shimmer takes us back to the Garrison where Gaby was once held as prisoner, but this time she's more sure of herself.  I love how much Gaby has grown as a character over the series and she really comes into her own in this instalment. She's fierce despite her exhaustion, brave despite her fears and relentless in standing up to face so much opposition on all sides. She's loyal and cares deeply and you can feel her fragile edges under it all and I just want everything to work out okay for her. I also loved finding out more about past-Gaby (Gabe) from her Sanctuary friends -- and it's nice to see so much of it is better than she was hoping for. I am also loving revisiting old Sanctuary memories -- like Gaby and Rafa's adrenalin junky motorbike days <3

Shadows opened with Gaby discovering the mystery of her past, and Haze hinted that those secrets were tangled in something far, far greater than just Gaby's immediate world. Now Shimmer really starts to crack open the whole Rephaim history and it's not just Gaby's world that has been rocked but all the Rephaim's, outcast and Sanctuary alike. Revelations gain momentum and seeds of doubt snowball into serious life-changing doubts and realisations.  

Weston manages to take crazy, complicated tensions between the myriad of characters and keep them all in balance -- all while unveiling secrets and ramping up mysteries. I love how with insight revealed it takes me back to earlier days (books) and shines a little light from a different perspective regarding characters motivations and relationships. It's a complex and intriguing group of characters and even the ones I didn't really feel that sympathetic towards are somehow worming their way into my affections. I love Gaby and Rafa is (clearly) amongst my fave YA love interests ever and Jude is incredible (and he also has some intriguing sexual tension happening with another Rephaim ;)). But it's the whole cast of characters that have me bewitched. Micah and Daisy (definitely looking forward to more of these two in #4), Zach and Ez, Jason and Maggie, even Taya and Mya and the Pan Beach Butler boys and co -- all make me feel like I'd love to hang out with the gang (although I'd need to brush up on my fighting skills -- non-stop sparring and fighting with that bunch of proud and kick-arse angels).

The tension is palpable and the pacing is sharp making Shimmer the most fierce and kick-arse book in the series so far. Zarael and his crew are formidable and unrelenting, seemingly even more nightmarish and ever-present than before. While the pacing had my heart thumping and those pages flying I missed some of those quieter moments where you can just breathe a little. Weston knows how to unleash all hell and then somehow take it up a notch, twist it around and flip it inside out. This time I felt more grounded as Jude is alongside Gaby -- he has her back, straight up. The dynamic between them is tight and I loved all their scenes together, so much. 

Rafa is hot and enigmatic in Shadows, damn sexy in Haze and in Shimmer he takes it up another level. So, fair warning -- prepare yourselves :).These two, Gaby and Rafa <3. All that slow burn sexual tension of the first two books really pays off and I have a feeling the best is yet to come.        

Bonus features: Weston has this really fun (and entirely useful) who's who of her world -- little mini character bios -- making it easy for readers to become reacquainted with the characters (and to refer back to if need be). Shimmer also opens with this genius little prologue where Gaby brings the reader up to speed covering the events of Shadows and Haze. 

Bonus feature I would have loved: Sneak peek of the first chapter of Burn (haha, joking.. kinda, not really...;)). THE ENDING... it's not a cliffhanger, per se, but it is the perfect set-up for book 4 (the series conclusion) and if I was dying to have Shimmer, I am even more so for Burn. The last scene just gave me such a rush -- and I am desperate to pick up where it leaves off -- Burn is going to begin with a real game changer and I am so along for the ride. 

I haven't been this pumped for a series since those early Hunger Games days when I needed to get my hands on Mockingjay (and now The Rephaim series supersedes that). I love this series immensely -- for the characters, the up-all-night addictive experience, the slow burn sexual tension, the secrets and mysteries and twists, the kick-arse, real-stakes action and for that unique Aussie vibe.

I am completely enamoured with this series and these characters and absolutely recommend Shimmer - one of my fave reads of the year so far (and Shadow and Haze, for those who have not yet started -- bump them up your TBR!).  

Shimmer is available now in Australia

(will be available in the UK July 3 -- and the US and Canada next year) 

My review of Shadows
My review of Haze
Shimmer @ goodreads

Shimmer @ Text Publishing (with links to ebook purchases and preview of the first two chapters)

Paula Weston's blog

Thanks to Text Publishing for my review copy

Haze by Paula Weston

"But what if we can’t find Jude?" 

He leans closer. His breath is warm on my ear. "We will."
"How can you be so sure?" I want to believe him so badly, but this is Rafa. The guy who’s all action and no plan. His smile is tired, knowing. An echo of a shared past I don’t remember. 
"Because I’m not smart enough to give up, and you don’t know how to."

Gaby Winters’ nightmares have stopped but she still can’t remember her old life. Still can’t quite believe she is one of the Rephaim—the wingless half-angels who can shift from place to place, country to country, in the blink of an eye. That she was once the Rephaim’s best fighter. That demons exist. That Rafa has stayed. 

But most of all, she can’t quite believe that her twin brother, Jude, might be alive. 

And Gaby can’t explain the hesitancy that sidetracks the search for him, infuriates Rafa, and sends them, again, into the darkest danger.

I loved paula's debut, Shadows, so, so much (despite it not sounding like a me kind of book). It was addictive and intelligent and sexy as anything. I was stalking my mail box for the sequel to arrive and, you guys, the wait was more than worth it. I loved Haze even more than Shadows. 

Straight up: I read this within a 24 hour period, finishing it at 4am. Those are the kind of reading memories I love, being so into a book I cannot turn my light out until I turn that last bittersweet page. 

Haze leaves off straight after the events of Shadows and I was instantly pulled back into Gaby's world. The plot takes you to places you will not expect. Not just in terms of plot twists and revelations  but Weston manages to incorporate so many vivid and unique settings -- from fictional Pan Beach (Queensland coastal town) to Dubai,  to the island of Patmos, to Melbourne, to the cornfields of Iowa and beyond... I felt like I was travelling the world, the sights and sounds are dazzling. (Also! Bungee jumping in Switzerland. I KNOW.)

This Aussie book has everything I love about Aussie YA: there is something in the water and Weston has so tapped into it. Her characters are three dimensional. The prose is eloquent without being flowery. Weston writes with so much vitality, life springs from the pages. The dialogue is snappy and authentic. 
Emotions run high and ring true. The action is swift and tense and believable. There's a lot of arse-kicking, on both sides. The danger is real, the stakes are high and the Rephaim deliver. I'm still reeling...

Rafa. 

[Let's take a moment here to pause...]

He brought the swoon in Shadows, smouldering and sexy and dangerous and completely enigmatic. In Haze, Weston turns the heat up *fans self* while also peeling a few layers back. There are these little peeks into his soul, when his guard is down, that show so much more than meets the eye. I mean, could he get any hotter? Those glimpses of vulnerability and compassion slew me. 

Gaby and Rafa are everything I love about romance. They are still sizzling on this crazy slow burn which just kills me. Sparks fly and the sexual tension is palpable. At the same time, Weston shows seasoned restraint, she adds depth, creates tension, gives these delicious moments to get your pulse racing and then amps up the mystery between them again. She knows when to tease and when to reveal and it's a delicate, maddening perfect dance between those two and the readers. 

There are so many shades of grey in Gaby's world. Who can she trust? Who was she before? Her relationships with the other Rephaim are constantly shifting. I love that. I love how Weston keeps us on our toes with the history and loyalties between Gaby and everyone else.  

My favourite plot-lines are concerning Gaby and her past: her brother and her search for him. Rafa and their history. In these moments I ache for Gaby, tough but vulnerable, lost and thrown into this crazy world of non-stop action. She barely has a chance to come to grips with everything amongst the chaos that is erupting around her. I want so much for her to find her answers, to find her happiness, to feel like she has a place in her world.        

The rights to this four book series have been sold to both the UK and the US. I am so pumped there are still two more books to come. I have no idea where Weston will take us next but I know I am so on board with whatever she has planned. I cannot recommend this series enough. 

p.s. Be on the look out for more Foo Fighters.
p.p.s. That cliff-hanger! Way to end on this crazy, adrenalin moment...   

Haze is out in Australia now!

Paula Weston's site (loads of extras)

Haze @ goodreads

Thanks so much to Text publishing for my review copy x

Shadows by Paula Weston

It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn.

And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams—he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense. Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth—and that the truth is more likely to be
found in the shadows of her nightmares.


Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly, who can she trust?


Fast-paced and gripping, Shadows, the first book in the Rephaim series, is a standout paranormal romance for fans of Richelle Mead and Stephenie Meyer.



Oh, so did I mention my favourite read in June was a paranormal YA book?

For this contemporary girl, I am surprised by how much I fell in love with this book. (Although it shouldn't have surprised me, as author Paula Weston has the loveliest online presence. That, coupled with the publisher being Text Publishing*, had me diving into this book the day it turned up in my mailbox).

[*Note: Text Publishing are an Australian publisher which consistently publish brilliant and unique YA books, such as Leanne Hall's This is Shyness, Vicki Wakefield's All I Ever Wanted and Tim Pegler's Five Parts Dead (to name a few)]

Things I loved about this book:

1. The New Adult vibe. Gaby is out of school. Flatting, working. Her mates and other characters are older too, in their twenties. I truly love this vibe: it's is not teenagery, but more fresh and mature. It has broad appeal to teenagers, young adult and adults alike.

2. Best. Meet-cute. Scene. Ever.
You guys, I am a fan of the meet-cute and this one involved some sexy, steamy ZING right off the bat. Me = glued to the pages. Just thinking about the meet-cute scene now has me grinning. See point 10 for more on Rafa (absolute hotness that he is)

3. For a contemp loving girl, I need character connection, and this book delivered. Gaby's voice captured me in the first chapter. She's startlingly real. Her personality is shadowed by her grief, but in perfect balance - the grief does not overwhelm her, or make her woefully grief-y as a narrator (you know what I mean). Also, she is a librarian, nicely done. <3 

4. Grief-type YA novels can seem overbearing sometimes, not so here. I think because the setting was so fresh (Australian! Beach-y! Sleepy coastal town!) and Gaby was too genuine in her ache, she was not wallowing, lamenting or draining to read about. She has a freshness and vibrancy about her in spite of her circumstances.

5. The paranormal aspect. Oh, this is SO not the average YA paranormal scene. It's set older and while the summary may have common elements, the story is not common at all. I love how the story unlayered with little mysteries, shrouded in memories and dreams, making it less about a paranormal being and more about what on earth is going on. Definitely intriguing.

6. Foo Fighters. It will make you crave them.

7. Cool elements that I cannot say for spoilers. One thing that a paranormal novel has going for it above contemporary reads, is the way authors can get creative with world-building. In particular, I loved one element that spiced things up. There are some fantastic action scenes, kick-arse mixed up with flailing and defeat. There's action and gore, genuine danger and real fear. As for the actual paranormal world, it has enough depth for you to see the research (intricate and layered world-building) but does not swamp the reader. Thanks for that :)

8. Intriguing characters. I LOVED THIS. No one is straight up, face value or playing a part. There are shades of grey all over the place and I think this is what made the characters seem real.

9. The novel was fun (always important ;)). Addictive and intelligent. Not dumbed down for readers. It's paced beautifully. It masterfully walked a fine line of mixing up internal conflict with external, past and present, while always moving the story forward.

10. Rafa. Mid-twenties. My gosh, he is complex, sexy, dangerous, genuine and non-clichéd. He is hard to read, enigmatic, gorgeous, and I cannot wait to get to know him more in the sequels. He's antagonistic and gruff and the dynamic between him and Gaby is brilliantly done - more understated than overbearing, which makes for a more suspenseful and genuine read.

11. The plot. I won't say much. It's not like I expected and it won't be what you are expecting, no matter what that expectation is. I think a lot of elements gave Shadows a unique vibe: the setting (Australian), the characters (older), the amnesia and mystery elements, all the shades of grey, the angel lore feels ancient and fresh.

12. So, Shadows does not fall into the genre of funny LOL's. But there were some one-liners and dashes of humour that will break out the grin, perfect tension relief.

13. It's a series, but in a non-cliffhanger-y way. It wraps up its own story, leaving readers satisfied, but ready for more of the world. Bring on Book Two!

I don't know why I am chatting about this book in a list, it just came out that way.

Most of all, I hope you can see I loved this book. I read it in one day, sneaking back to my bedroom any chance I could. Gaby's voice hooked me from the first chapter and stayed with me after the last page. I so endorse Claudia Gray's blurb: Scary, sexy and suspenseful.

This book should be right at the top of your wishlists*.

Shadows is out in Australia now

Read the first three chapters
Shadows @ Text Publishing, with links to buy for kindle, etc

Bonus: see how many times I use fresh, vibrant (or variations of) in this review. Argh, sometimes tit just happens ;)


* Definitely hoping for an international release. It deserves it.

Thanks to Paula Weston and Text Publishing for my review copy :)

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Welcome to Morganville. Just don`t stay out after dark.

Morganville is a small town filled with unusual characters - when the sun goes down, the bad come out. In Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows - one that will spill out into the bright light of day.

For Claire Danvers, high school was hell, but college may be murder. It was bad enough that she got on the wrong side of Monica, the meanest of the school's mean girls, but now she's got three new roommates, who all have secrets of their own. And the biggest secret of all isn't really a secret, except from Claire: Morganville is run by vampires and they are hungry for fresh blood . . . (from publisher's site) 

Glass Houses is the first book in the Morganville Vampire series. Which came out in 2006 in the US but have just had an Australian release at the beginning of this year. AND I do completely LOVE the new funky looking covers ~ the colours kind of shimmer in the metallic-y way in the light...

However, the covers are only thing here that sparkle, heheheh :) The vampires in this novel are the traditional bad guys...

So ~ this was a whole reading outside my genre thing, being a contemp girl. I don't mind branching out now and then to see if I can get hooked. This series did interest me because it's been so well received and it's (hordes) of fans claim that once you read the first one you're addicted.

Glass Houses gets off to a slow but intriguing start. 

When sixteen year old Claire moves to Morganville to begin college she has no idea how trippy things are going to get. Straight off, she's bullied (and left for dead) by the mean girls on campus which leads her to seek alternative accommodation ~


Enter a gothic-esque but very cool house (complete with hidden passage-ways and secret rooms) with three older house mates: 

• Eve: a funky goth, spunky yet nurturing
• Michael: enigmatic and mysterious muso-boy
• Shane: video game junkie, slacker and all-round hot boy
• Claire (our protag) is a funny character herself: a kind of blend between being tough and having melt-downs, she's determined but often unsure, smart yet incredibly dense at times, innocent and right at that perfect coming-of-age age.

My favourite part of the book was the dynamic between the house mates. I enjoyed the banter and the mysterious undertones with lots of the characters. There's a smidgen of romance bubbling away as well (and of course the boys are hot :D)


As for the vampires? The whole town is absolutely shrouded in history and it's rather creepy and dangerous and absolutely deadly. And Claire's gutsy (or foolish) choices definitely keep her from falling under the radar.


Reading this book was fun. Once you get past the first mini hump ~ it's a very speedy, relaxing read. The camaraderie between the house mates adds a lightness to the otherwise dark and foreboding setting.


I think to enjoy this title I really had to settle in and just go with the flow and see where the author was taking me. There was a few occasional 'what the?' moments for me in terms of plot or character motivations ~ but I don't think you should go into the book expecting it all to make sense straight up ~ Rachel Caine dives right into the story and I recommend just going along for the ride ~ which is wild and fun and occasionally spooky a promising start to a series.


As for making me crave more of the paranormal genre? This book didn't cure me, haha. I had a good time while reading it and sailed through it in two days BUT it's still not really my thing. I do prefer the creepy vampires to sparkly ones but overall, I'm yet to be thrilled by books that feature vampires at all (or most paranormal beings. sigh...). 


I have it on the best authority (from multiple sources) that from here on in, The Morganville Vampire series just gets hotter and more addictive. I did LOVE the older dynamic, with all main characters (but Claire) being older than high school age. I can see the appeal for both teens and adults.


Recommended: Glass Houses is a fast read with dynamic chemistry between characters making it grin-worthy and fun while still being sufficiently dark and creepy. If you love vampire books you'll be missing out by not checking out this series, hey. My tip is to suspend your disbelief  (if it hovers around while you're reading) and go along for the ride.  


Also ~ how hot is our Aussie cover :D  

Glass Houses @ Penguin Australia

Glass Houses @ goodreads

Read an extract (ch's 1 & 2)

Thank you to Penguin Australia for providing me with this review copy. Cheers!

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Australian cover

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. (from goodreads)

My review:  ...in which I RAVE about a paranormal YA (!)

Mate, how much did I LOVE this book?

Me & the paranormal thing:  Me and paranormal YA usually do not mix. I don't read a lot of the genre and when I attempt it I usually feel very blah about it ~ even popular well-loved paranormals bore me... it's just the way it is :) However, I often feel like I'm out of the loop ~ A LOT of people seem to be having THE BEST time in the paranormal scene, so I'm often on the outside looking in and hoping to one day . All this to say:  I'd seen a lot of good mates REALLY LOVE Unearthly so I started to get pumped about it while still holding my breath in case it wasn't my thing.

So... when I read Unearthly ~ it was just the perfect book for the mood I was in:

• seamless, well-written prose that's easy to sink into (the pages fly by ~ OKAY, so I got addicted and couldn't put it down...). A main character to love, a couple of fictional boys whom I was oh-so-delighted to be introduced to, and a story that kept me charmed the whole way through. 

You know when you read a book and then later emerge from the pages and feel like you have literally been transported to another place and time? That was me and Unearthly ~ the setting was LOVELY ~ I just soaked it up. It was so easy to become immersed in it: the small town vibe, the high school halls and the forest ~ all beautiful.

The characters are REAL, man. Like contemp characters: fleshed out and interesting and Clara is an MC you will fall in love with. She's spunky and fun, and also a little unsure of herself. I LOVED her brother and her mum and the family dynamic. I liked the semi-complicated girl friendships, and I ADORED the two boys in Clara's life

I LOVE a convincing and anti-melodramatic love triangle. Hand has NAILED it in Unearthly. She has all the right components that make it a compelling, non-cliche, tangled-up swoon-y triangle. AND, the LOVE STORY that emerges in the second half of the book would rival some of your favourite YA couples ~ it has so many funny, fun, genuine, butterflies in your tummy moments. Sigh... I LOVE that feeling of swooning along with the MC and I would DARE you not to swoon in this book :)  Young TUCKER has leapt on to my literary crush list ~ what a guy ;)

The whole VIBE of the book was just refreshing. It's a book you could happily pass on to younger YA readers (the angle lore was done really well, it felt good and clean and intriguing) ~ yet will also appeal to anyone who enjoys a GOOD coming-of age. There was nothing tacky or cringe-worthy about it.

Unearthly also features a pretty STUNNING kind-of twist in the climax ~ which has me SO hanging out for the sequel ~ yet it didn't leave me with a painful cliff-hanger. Perfectly done.

US cover

Recommended: why, yes, yes, yes. You know when Anna and the French Kiss came out ~ and non-contemp readers were falling all over it and in love? Unearthly is (for me) it's paranormal equivalent. I have fallen in love with it ~ I couldn't put it down. I swooned, I found it utterly compelling with gorgeous prose and charming characters.  It's a definite favourite of mine. <3 <3 <3

Unearthly @ goodreads: current rating of 4.38 with 1, 600 ratings.