REVIEW ~ INBETWEEN (KISSED BY DEATH #1) by TARA FULLER

Series: Kissed by Death #1
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Format: eARC
Pages: 400
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Inbetween delivers a ethereal, romantic story of enduring love and the unimaginable lengths a boy will go to in order to protect the girl he loves.

First of all...WOW. I reeaalllly enjoyed Inbetween. Author Tara Fuller delivered a beautifully written story that captured my attention and my heart.. From the very first page, I was hooked. The way the story unfolded was smart, with a prologue that takes the reader back in time and sets the story up very nicely. The emotion created within the words forced me to see and know the characters, the emotions that moved across their faces and reflected in their voices. I had no choice but to become emotionally invested in the story.

I loved this world of Reapers and the Afterlife that Fuller created. These Reapers served Heaven, Hell and the Inbetween. These Reapers, complete with Scythes, are hardcore, particularly those who serve Hell. And at this point I have to say that I was sufficiently creeped out by the vision Fuller created of Hell, with it's eternal torment of the damned's worst nightmare. Luckily we don't spend too much time there! The Inbetween is more of a "grey area", a holding area for those whose souls have yet to be determined. And where Finn resides.

And that brings me to the characters of Inbetween. Emma is a human girl who was meant to die, but was given a second chance. A chance given to her by Finn. Finn and Emma have a complicated and romantic history. A history Emma doesn't recall, but has affected her nonetheless. I really liked Emma. She's a true victim of circumstance. She feel as if she's crazy, has been considered unstable for reasons she doesn't understand. And Finn is to blame. I have to get behind a guy who loves his girl so much that he will defy Heaven and Hell to save her. I truly felt sorry for him, to watch the girl he loves, and not be able to be with her. And yet, Finn also upset and disappointed me. I believe in true love, but not at the expense of others, particularly using them to get what you want and take what's theirs. I definitely thought he was selfish at times, but that also made him a character who pulled me further into the story.

Now, I must mention three other characters, two I loved and one I hated. Maeve is a bad, bad soul. She thinks Emma had what should've been hers, and she is hellbent on revenge. Maeve was a great villain because she complicated. She's evil, cruel and does awful things, yet she has a point in her rage. Cash is Emma's best friend and makes every scene substantially more fun. He is so good to Emma, accepts her quirks with a smile and a shoulder. He has his own troubles, yet is always there for Emma. Annnd, Easton. Be still my sarcastic heart. Easton is one of Hell's Reapers and he's good at his job. I loved his dry wit, his up-front demeanor, his willingness to put himself on the line for his friend. I want more of Easton. A whole book of Easton. Someone please tell me Easton will get his own book!

I would have liked the first half of Inbetween to move a little faster. There was a lot time devoted to setting up the characters and their stories. Once the details were set in place, though, Inbetween was so fantastic. I didn't want to put the story down, and it constantly stayed in my thoughts when I was able to set it aside for a bit. The tension consistently rose the further I went and by the end I was reading with one hand on my Kindle and the other on my heart. I was so thoroughly happily with the way the story ended and I can't wait to read the next book!

If you're a fan of stories about love and second chances in the vein of The Catastrophic History of You and Me, then Inbetween will be sure to please.

Favorite Quote:

"Memories pulsed through my mind in blinding flashes as I inched toward the vehicle. Soft-as-satin lips, warm whispers against my neck, smiles like the sun...The pull intensified, like a pounding in my chest, and my knees buckled." (ebook, 1%)

"Sure, she's got problems, but what seventeen-year-old kid doesn't? Haven't you ever read Judy Blume?" (ebook, 7%)

"I stepped closer, so close I could see my shimmer reaching out toward her skin, like metal to a magnet. I never needed to breathe, but now, in this moment, I couldn't stop my lungs from pumping." (ebook, 47%)

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