{REVIEW} THE CHARMED (THE CHARMED TRILOGY #1) by CHRISTINE WENRICK

Series: The Charmed Trilogy #1
Publisher: Red Tree House Publishing
Publication Date: 8/29/12
Format: ebook
Pages: 306
Source: Received from author for review.

In The Charmed—Book One of The Charmed Trilogy—Olivia Ann Greyson sees only one future for herself—to compose and perform the music she has loved since she was a child. But that future changes in an instant when a commuter train taking her to the city crashes and is attacked by, unbelievably, a coven of vampires! As the rabid creatures feed their thirst on the surviving passengers, Olivia is spared from an unthinkable fate because of the intervention of another vampire—Caleb Wolfe, a figure from her past who, for reasons he doesn’t understand himself, would do anything to protect her.
After one familiar touch, Olivia recognizes the man behind the vampire. Soon love, and a powerful supernatural connection, begins to grow between them. But with that connection Olivia starts to notice starling changes happening within herself, and violent events make it clear that the vampire coven which wanted her the night of the train crash won’t stop until they have her.
Time is running out for Olivia and Caleb to discover why all this is happening. And the answers they find may painfully tear their new love apart.

 

With a fated romance amid a danger-filled world, The Charmed is a story that will resonate with lovers of Adult Paranormal Romance.

The Charmed is a story that I really enjoyed. You have a heroine in Olivia who is a bit innocent, but not completely naive. A bit dramatic in her emotions, but not over-the-top melodramatic. Caleb, her savior and love, was a true romantic hero. He was all man, er, vampire...a manly, protective man who also happens to be a vampire. Their relationship, intense and fast-moving, was very steamy, dramatic, and heart-warming.

The vampire world that author Christine Wenrick built was familiar to other stories in some ways, but managed to have a unique enough spin to make it her own. The bad vampires were scary, the good vampires could be scary when pushed to the limit, but had human-like qualities as well. There are dhampirs, a human/vampire hybrid, who live somewhere in between. There are even vampire hunters, who didn't play a huge part in this book, but I expect a lot more out of in book two. As for Olivia...well, she is something all her own, something unlike I had ever read about before. I'm not going to go into it deeply, because it takes a decent bit of explanation, and it's something better left to the book.

There is one aspect to The Charmed that I think some readers may pick at the love story. Caleb and Olivia's attachment could seem like a case of insta-love to some, but I don't mind it when I can feel the connection strongly. I just felt that I should probably point that out. ;-)

The Charmed was a quite beautiful story. I enjoyed its destined, yet challenged lovers, and the dangerous world they live in. This is a series that I look forward to continuing in book two, The Charmed Souls.


Favorite Quote:

  "My teary gaze turned to face him, and the vampire's presence was never more real to me than at that moment. His lips lingered just inches above my own, and his sweet, cool breath tingled across my cheek while mine drew in sharply. This was the first time I had seen him out of the shadows -- and his human face was stunningly handsome."  (13%)


  "And then I knew--I knew everything I needed to know. 'Do you see what's happening, Caleb? I am a mirror. I can only reflect your true nature.' Happy tears began to fall over my cheeks. 'And your reflection is beautiful.' His features softened and his eyes reverted as I watched them change to the beautiful gray tones of Caleb, the man."   (95%)



You can purchase The Charmed at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  Smashwords



About the author:
Christine is the author of The Charmed Trilogy. She lives in the scenic Pacific Northwest where she enjoys hiking, camping and photographing many of the wonderful places that served as inspiration for her novels. Her biggest reward in life is any given day when one of her books connects with a reader, because she herself is such a lover of reading.
You can connect with Christine at GoodReads.