FROG HOLLOW
by Savannah Blevins
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
SYNOPSIS -
It’s a sign. No one is safe.
At just twenty-two years old, Wilhelmina Daniels inherits a house, a family of eclectic witches, and a death sentence on the same day. As revealed by Reid Thomas, her shy but smoldering neighbor, Wilhelmina is a descendent of the Innocent—a line of gifted women who are to be admired, feared, and above all else, protected.
Death, mayhem, and The Haunted...
The murder of Wilhelmina’s mother—the family matriarch—sends the small town’s rumor-mill into a frenzy. Suspicions fall on The Haunted, a rival force with dual personalities, one of them being Julien Cote.
It's difficult to believe the charming boy has a sexual deviant with a hankering for violence lurking inside.
Rumor has it Julien can seduce an angel out of her wings. Wilhelmina doesn't have wings, but if he calls her cheri d'amour one more time, she's liable to lose something of equal importance—her heart. But with Reid hailing from her clan, will she stay close to her own, or venture into the unknown?
Even a powerful spell can’t seal Julien’s fate…
Julien knows an incantation that just might help Wilhelmina to solve her mother's death, but when an unidentified stalker is spotted spying in her house, her family is certain it's Julien’s dangerous alter ego come out to play.
Wilhelmina must decide—is risking her life worth the possible heartbreak of discovering the truth about Julien’s fate and her mother’s death? Or will she cast aside her desire for Julien and vow her love to Reid.
Leaving her past forever buried in the murky depth of…Frog Hollow.
- PURCHASE -
Paperback: http://amzn.to/1OYgtuW
Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Frog Hollow is an intriguing urban fantasy/paranormal with an unusual premise and some fun characters. I love small towns filled with quirky folk, especially if they have a paranormal aspect. This novel has great characters in spades!
What I Liked
-I loved the voice of main character Willa. I was sucked in immediately by her charm and snarkiness. Willa stood up for herself, and even though her life had not been an easy one, was willing to rise to the occasion when needed. And with that, I also liked the author's writing style-- fluid and graceful making for an enjoyable read.
-The town was so much fun. I loved all of the characters and the interactions. Seriously, there's never a dull moment there.
-The descriptions were so vivid and captured all of the senses which really drew me into the story.
What I Didn't Like as Much
-The novel starts out with a brisk pace, but then seems to drag a bit toward the middle. There were times I caught myself skimming so much that I had to go back to reread something I missed.
-The ending was bittersweet but was also one I expected from almost the beginning of the book. In fact, I remember thinking just a few chapters or so in, "I wonder if she's going to do that..."
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I adored Willa and loved seeing her connect with her new family.
- EXCERPT -
It’s pitch dark. Nothing but streetlamps light our march down the sidewalk. I constantly stumble to keep up with Reid’s long strides. It’s not because I’m staring at his ass in those jeans.
Definitely not that.
He pulls me down an alleyway that is lit only by the dim lamps hanging over the doorways. “My car is that way,” I say, pointing in the opposite direction.
“I’ll get it later.” He pushes forward down the alley, never bothering to look back.
We come out on another street where he stands looking up and down the block before motioning for me to follow him across the road. I still look twice each way even though the street is deserted. He waits next to a double-cab, gray truck. He flings the passenger side door open and pushes me inside.
“Where are we going?”
He ignores me, slamming the door in my face. Once he’s in the driver’s seat, I shoot him a dirty look. “Where are we going?” I ask again, this time hissing out the words.
“I thought maybe we’d go to your house, let you hit me over the head again.” He glares over at me, gesturing toward his wound. “You know, to even it out, because I think it looks pretty stupid lopsided like this.”
“Smartass.” I throw myself back into the seat and cross my arms as he backs out of the parking space. “No wonder you’re single.”
He stops momentarily in the middle of the street with his hand on the gearshift, waiting to push it into drive. “What?”
“I said you’re such a charmer.”
He scowls at me. His pissed off face is growing on me. I grin back. With one swift jerk of his hand, the truck is in gear and we zoom down the back street. I fumble to find my seat belt. My hands tremble as I click it into place.
We are already on the road leading out of town when I look back out the window, watching the lights from downtown fade out of sight. His eyes fixated on the road,his fingers running along the side of the steering wheel like he’s in a hurry.
“Where are we going?” I ask, this time in a whisper, avoiding eye contact.
I know it’s silly, because we just left a room full of witnesses, but I can’t stop picturing myself being thrown into a swamp full of snapping alligators like I’m Indiana Jones on my last crusade.
“You wanted this.” Attention straight on the road, he refuses to look at me. “So, we’ve got some things to straighten out.”
It’s vague, but at least it’s an answer. However, I doubt he’d actually tell me if he planned to feed me to alligators.
That would probably be counterproductive to his mission.
I lean back in my seat and breathe, assuring myself that just because he wants me to leave town doesn’t mean he wants me dead. I become slightly less panicked when we pull into the driveway leading down to my house. The sound of the gravel is noisy as we skid into place just behind the trailer. He jumps out of the truck before I even notice that he cut off the ignition. I scurry out, following him up the walk. He fumbles with his key in the lock.
“Hey!” I peek over his shoulder and scowl. “You’ve got to stop doing that.”
“Why?” He glares back, pushing the door open. “You’ve got a flashlight in your purse?”
I stomp in behind him. “You can’t just come in anytime you feel like it. I appreciate you taking care of the house, but it’s mine now.”
He stops in the middle of the room, and I stumble into his back. He turns around slowly, looking down at me. The house is dark; only the light of the moon shines through the windows highlighting his face. He’s close. He could touch me if he wanted. It would make sense. His palm under my elbow, or his fingers against my waist.
Except he doesn’t.
“Fiona gave me this key when I was ten years old,” he whispers in the small space between us. “Everyone in our family has a key to this house.”
I want to snap back at him, but I don’t know if I’m actually mad about the key or something else. I take a step back, and this time I look away. “I don’t know how families work.”
I shouldn’t be embarrassed. I’ve been an orphan for the better part of my life. I still can’t look him in the eye.
“There is a blue cookie jar on the top shelf of your cabinet,” he says, pointing behind me.
I follow his finger to the kitchen cabinets and then turn back to him. “Go look in it.”
I walk by him, dodging boxes along the way until I open the cabinet doors. In the very last one I see a chipped, blue jar stuck in the back corner. I climb up on the counter to reach it. I grab it, sitting down so I can hold it more securely. I glance at Reid, standing at the counter’s edge watching me, before I stick my hand inside. My fingers hit metal, and I can tell by the jingling sound it makes that the jar is full of keys. “Mine is the one with the giant R painted on it,” he says, crossing his arms. “Feel free to break in anytime.”
I clamp the lid shut. “You don’t mean that.”
He shrugs. “You’re right, I don’t. But I’m keeping my key.”
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SAVANNAH BLEVINS -
Savannah was born in Hyden, Kentucky. She received her M.S in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Mississippi in 2009. She’s been writing since the early age of nine when she begged her parents for a type writer for Christmas.
She now lives in Corbin, Ky with her husband of eight years, John, and their two wonderful daughters, Delilah and Gracie.
When she isn’t working, or running after her kids, she spends her free time traveling the country with her husband. There is nothing better than a day of football in the grove, a late night of basketball at Rupp Arena or slapping the glass to celebrate another Washington Capitals goal.
She is a strong believer that with enough hard work and determination you can accomplish anything.
