Book Review ~ Embrace, by Cherie Colyer

Sometimes you end up hurting the ones you love.
You find you can't save them or yourself.

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.

Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.
Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.~From GoodReads

Let me start by saying, Embrace was exactly what I was looking for in a book. And this book opens with one heck of  a promise:

"Your life's about to change, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Promising, yes? And with that sentence, I was hooked. I had to know what life-altering change was about to take place. Who or What was going to change main character Madison's life? If you're guessing a boy, you may be on the right track. But that's not all that's headed Madison's way.

The paranormal aspect of the book surprised me. I truly had no idea what sort of slant the story would have, and I am certainly not going to give it away in this review.  Looking back at the synopsis, I see a small clue. But, honestly, I was happy to go into this one blind because Embraced is built around one of my very favorites in the paranormal field. Are you curious now? Good!

Now, onto the characters. Madison was instantly engaging and easy to cheer for. Life hasn't always been the easiest for sweet Madison. She lost her mother at a young age, her boyfriend moved away, one of her former friends has turned into a hateful twit. But Madison keeps going, never self-pitying or annoying, largely in part with the help of her best friend, Kaylee. Kaylee is a superb best friend, the type we all wish to have. She is always looking out for her girl, never hesitating to step up when Madison needs backup. Kaylee is always quick with a funny line or a wink just when Madison needs it. Kaylee's boyfriend, Josh, is exactly the kind of guy we all wish for our best friend (if not for ourselves!). He is charming, handsome, supportive and a great friend to Madison, as well. And that leaves the mysterious new guy, Isaac. Isaac...*swoons*, yeah, you could say I liked him. Isaac has that certain "new guy" mystique we all know. He is mysterious, it's clear right away there is something different about him, but he is also sweet, charming, and playful. What a treat! I was so happy that Isaac wasn't a guy that ran hot or cold.

And yeah, Isaac and Madison have a fairly instantaneous connection, something that seems to draw them together. But, for me, this wasn't a case of insta-love. They do begin hanging out together right away, and they clearly like each other, they don't try to hide that. But they weren't declaring their love and forsaking all their friends for one another, especially Madison. What a strong-willed girl! She is determined to be absolutely positive that their attraction is more that the paranormal connection that is between them. I really admire this quality, the self-awareness and identity, that the author gave her.

I have a major weakness in books, a sure-fire way for the author to bring me on board: a core group of friends who work together to solve a mystery. I don't know why that is always a huge positive for me, maybe because one of my favorite series as a kid was the Trixie Belden mysteries, which featured another "gang" of problem-solving teens. I admire when the main character is willing to work with others instead of holding all of her issues, problems, and fears inside, letting them fester until they can't be contained and it's almost too late. But I digress. Madison, Isaac, Kaylee, and Josh make quite the team, determined to bring down the evil that is plaguing their town.

The only, very small, area that was less than perfect (and it's hard for me to explain without spoiling the story) was the way the storyline was wrapped up. One of the people who looked guilty wasn't guilty and I didn't quite buy the fact that he/she was innocent. And, a few areas that dealt with wrapping up the ending felt a little rushed. But, all in all, I was extremely happy with the Embraced!

Embrace is a thrilling, whirlwind of an adventure. With an intriguing, unique plot line, engaging characters, abounding danger, and a lovely, well-written romance, it is a story that had me reading on the edge of my seat.


Favorite Quote (one of many):

"He leaned in closer to  me. His eyes were a shimmering, deep brown, but there was a speck of ocean blue at the edge of his right iris. I couldn't remember what I was about to say. My heart did a pirouette in my chest, and my breath caught in my throat. I closed the distance between us. His lips were firm and warm, and I wanted to kiss him forever."


Published December 20th 2011 by Omnific Publishing

You can purchase Embrace at:
Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository  |  Amazon


Cherie is always dreaming of romance and expressing her dreams in stories. She combined her passion for writing with her fascination of all things mythical to weave together a youth romance story that led to her debut novel, Embrace.

She lives with her family in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.

You can find her at:
Website | Facebook | Twitter


* I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. *