REVIEW ~ GRASPING AT ETERNITY (KINDRILY SERIES #1) BY KAREN AMANDA HOOPER

Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release.

With it's shockingly brutal opening, Grasping at Eternity captured my attention, and held it. Poor Maryah has lost everything. She's constantly hit with moments of deja vu. Her dreams are invaded by a dream guy. Maryah soon learns that her dream guy is real and but so much of what she thought was her life, isn't.

 Maryah was an easy heroine to embrace. Her pain at losing those she loves the most was consuming and realistic. Her hesitation to move on after tragedy was believable. Nathan is protective and loving, and thankfully not overbearing. His torment over losing his love was aching. And though the story mostly revolves around Maryah, I found my heart to lie more with Nathan. The supporting characters of Grasping at Eternity were well-served. They had just enough side story to make them interesting, and they worked to help move the story forward.

I love when I find a story that involves an otherworldly aspect that is new or different to me. I will say that I was a bit confused through the first half of the story because I, like Maryah, didn't quite know what was going on. I'm not typically a reader that likes huge information to be withheld. Once I did learn what was going on, though, my enjoyment level went up. The Kindrily world that is built in Grasping at Eternity is enchanting, ethereal and romantic.
This is the second book of Hooper's I've read and I've found each to be well-written and enjoyable. Grasping at Eternity was lovely. I did find the story to be a bit slower-paced in the middle, but the last portion of the book was full action and revelations. I will definitely read book two of the Kindrily Series, Taking Back Forever, to find out what happens next.
Favorite Quote:

" 'Count four stars east of the last star in the belt, then three stars back, and one star diagonally south. That's me.' I wanted to add, the empty space beside me is where you belong."

Published May 25, 2012 by Starry Sky Publishing

You can purchase Grasping at Eternity at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords

Author of YA paranormal and fantasy. TANGLED TIDES by Rhemalda Publishing (11/25/11) GRASPING AT ETERNITY (Book 1-The Kindrily Series) by Starry Sky Publishing (5/25/12) I was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years and I'm currently sunning and splashing around Florida with my two sweet and adorable dogs. I'm addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters. (from GoodReads)

Connect with Karen Amanda Hooper at:
GoodReads  |  blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Blog Tour ~ Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper

Welcome to today's stop on the Tangled Tides Blog Tour! You can keep up with the tour at the Tangled Tides website.

                             Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

Young Adult fans of Mermaids, Selkies, Sirens and Gorgons will love this tale of the sacrifice one makes for genuine love. Love that could be lost at any moment to the ever-changing tides.

~From GoodReads

I must start by saying: What a cover! The colors iridescent and shimmery seem to nearly come alive. The water, splashing against Yara seems to be actually moving. The darkness in the sky surrounding her indicates troubled times. I love it.
I'm a newbie to the mermaid's tale. The only stories I know are movies, The Little Mermaid and the classic (at least in my eyes), Splash. I was able to start this book with a completely blank slate, no comparisons to draw. I quickly found myself submersed into the story and the world. At the center of the story, we have Yara, a girl who inexplicably finds herself  a mermaid, and she's at the center of a decades long struggle between the mer people and the selkies. Not only does she have to adjust to the fact that she's a mermaid (cue the freak out), but she must also contend with the fact she is the unknowing key to helping both species return home after many years in exile.

Tangled Tides is told from three different points-of-view, which can be confusing, but she Hooper made it work. Each change was clearly marked and though you knew the viewpoint had shifted, the story never felt disjointed. She also did a nice job of conveying the emotions and reactions of a girl who has suddenly found out fairy tales, in some respect, are real. I appreciated the fact that Yara didn't just accept that she suddenly had fins and a tail. She's angry, she's scared and she just wants to go home, back to her old, normal life. Yara was resourceful, stubborn and I enjoyed getting to know her.

Treygan and Rownan, the two men vying to control Yara, were both intriguing. Treygan is handsome, honorable, kind and self-sacrificing. The perfect leading man. The relationship he develops with Yara is slow-building and really, now that I think back on it, charming. Rownan on the other hand, is a mystery. Not exactly a bad guy, he is full of ulterior motives and secrets. But, I must say, there is something endearing about a man who will do anything to be reunited with the love of his life.

I have to say the story, the description of the underwater world was quite beautiful. The visualization depicted was stunning and vibrant, filled with beautiful colors, shapes and creatures. I found it to be a beautiful escape.
Favorite Quote:

"How could I have said something like that to her? Knowing how she feels about me, and knowing she and I could never be together, I wanted to apologize, but how do you tell someone you're sorry for calling them beautiful."

Paperback, 328 pages

Published November 25th 2011 by Rhemalda

You can purchase Tangled Tides at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

About the author:
Karen is a YA fantasy and paranormal author who lives in Florida with her two beloved dogs. In high school she discovered her passion for writing, but it wasn't until her late twenties that she wrote her first novel. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairytales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all her novels. She is addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters. Her website is www.KarenAmandaHooper.com.