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The Forever Girl (Forever Girl #1)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 699 ratings · 336 reviews

"Whatever you do, fight."

Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves.

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting...more

Kindle Edition, 3rd, 262 pages

Published January 26th 2012 by Immortal Ink Publishing

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Mar 06, 2013 Tanja (Tanychy) St. Delphi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, arc-galleys, paranormal-romance

First I want to thank Rebecca for sending me this book, and I must add that that didn't affect my rating in any kind of way. I'm always honest when it comes to books.

Now a review! It's simple if you like vampires, paranormal creatures (as much as I do) you'll love this book too. You'll be surprised with a whole new level of difference between vampires. Before I started reading paranormal books I thought okay vampires are vampires and that's it, but with some books (like this one) you see that t...more

19 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2012 Jessica Fortunato rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: occult, urban-fantasy, paranormal-fantasy

Since receiving my shiny new Kindle just a few months ago, I’ve been opened to the awesome world of new novelists. It has been a rocky adventure of books. Oftentimes awesome reads have sucked me in for days, other times I curse the heavens (in that very dramatic, TV movie sort of way) and then erase them from my Kindle immediately.

I’d seen some tweets concerning The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton, but hadn’t fully sought it out. The cover was pretty, and the author’s tweets were fun. Finally,...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 12x12-challenge, 2012-challenges, author-review-requests, ebooks, japan, magic-paranormal, wicca-witches, young-adult

I just finished this and all I can say at this exact moment is wow. It's an awesome story that I'm excited to continue reading. I'm definitely going to write a more in-depth review, I just need a bit of time to process my thoughts.

ETA

My initial reaction on completing this was simply: wow.

I absolutely loved this book. It's not perfect, I'll admit, but it's close.

The main pull that had me wanting to read this book is the element of Wicca. Wicca has been a subject that's been of great interest to m...more

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Anubha rated it 5 of 5 stars

THE FOREVER GIRL by Rebecca Hamilton (@inkmuse)... Book full of easily imaginable scenes and was not able to stop myself from reading it even though my exams are going on... :)
What a fantabulous novel with new and amazing creatures/characters, most importantly with a superb plot/story.

Starting was seemed a bit slow but slowly from mid chap-2 where Sophia performs her 'ritual for positive energy' the story gets you. And after few chapters it proves to be a page turner.

CHARACTERS- the characters a...more

8 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Juana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, wicca, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, witches, occult, fantasy, paranormal-fantasy

Thank you soo much Rebecca for sending me this book. I enjoyed every page of it. Just what I love reading.

Here is my review:

I extremely enjoyed this book and I will totally recommend it to people that love to read fantasy, romance, paranormal and anything that falls in the vampire paranormal category. Totally love that and if you like that I recommend this book to you!

I don't want to give spoilers so ill try my hardest on not giving any spoilers out.

Sophia is just a normal girl that lives in...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Carolline rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Ms. Hamilton’s writing style and her attention to detail. When I heard about The Forever Girl, I was excited but apprehensive about the main character (Sophie) being Wiccan. I was blown away; every assumption about the story line I had was shattered, the end result far superseded the blurb on the back of the novel.
Ms. Hamilton has a knack for transporting the reader into the environment and making it feel like I was right there the whole time. When I started the novel I was s...more I really enjoyed Ms. Hamilton’s writing style and her attention to detail. When I heard about The Forever Girl, I was excited but apprehensive about the main character (Sophie) being Wiccan. I was blown away; every assumption about the story line I had was shattered, the end result far superseded the blurb on the back of the novel.
Ms. Hamilton has a knack for transporting the reader into the environment and making it feel like I was right there the whole time. When I started the novel I was so absorbed in the suspense of what was unfolding with Sophie and Charles I couldn’t (and didn’t) put the book down till I finished it.
I would compare The Forever Girl, to being similar to Lacey Weatherford’s Of Witches and Warlocks, and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.
It was completely unique in the sense that Ms. Hamilton takes a completely new-to-me spin on immortality. While some of the characters are what you would normally think of as ‘traditional’ immortal beings, Sophie is a new unique spin (without giving too much away). Ms. Hamilton’s characters are all very unique and complex, so even the antagonists that you’d love to hate, you can’t. You understand their reasoning and in their own way, they are not villains but just characters that thru past events have evolved; motivated by power, love, survival.
This novel will knock your socks off and keep you on your toes the whole time. The one thing I hate about discovering a series at its beginning is the wait that you have to endure for the next part to come out! It is like waiting for the next Harry Potter book to be released, just to find out what happens to the characters that have become integral parts of your life. Will we stay together with Charles and will we both survive? How much will Lauren be apart of our upcoming battle? Will Adrian find someone to love and that loves him? What is to become of the twins as well as the others? The waiting will be pure torture but I am sure that whichever way Ms. Hamilton takes Sophie’s story, it will far supersede all of my expectations.
(less)

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Mar 16, 2012 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: occult, paranormal-fantasy, urban-fantasy

Upon reading the description for this book, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this, it was so unassuming, but the first few sentences captured my attention and it wouldn’t let me put it down until I finished the book.
In the beginning of a story we usually get insight into the main character’s normal day to day life, and when we first meet Sophia Parsons it’s immediately apparent that her life is far from normal. She hears voices, whispers and practises Wiccan arts in order to try and que...more Upon reading the description for this book, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this, it was so unassuming, but the first few sentences captured my attention and it wouldn’t let me put it down until I finished the book.
In the beginning of a story we usually get insight into the main character’s normal day to day life, and when we first meet Sophia Parsons it’s immediately apparent that her life is far from normal. She hears voices, whispers and practises Wiccan arts in order to try and quell these voices. As the voices become more persistent and louder, Sophia digs through her family’s past to try and find a solution, but what she finds and what finds her, is so much more than she bargained for.
The cover of this edition is especially eye-catching, which features a girl dressed in Gothic Lolita style with gorgeous intricate black jewellery and lace parasol, set against the model’s stark skin and blond hair with emphatic eye makeup creates a bold contrast. Especially when the background to the model is reminiscent of a colourful fall day.
Hamilton writing is so smooth and descriptive, it keeps you enthralled and lets the scenes play out graphically in your head easily as you read (especially the scenes with the whispers, they will haunt me for a while). The story takes the bare bones of many concepts such as vampires, witches and shapeshifters and completely reinvents them into something new. The story had so many supernatural elements in it, I wondered at how Hamilton would pull it together, but then she completely blows you out of the water with the reveals and everything clicks into place - which just ends up leaving the reader wanting to know more!
I really enjoyed reading from Sophia’s perspective. She’s such a likable character because she’s strong willed and doesn’t let other’s opinions phase her. She’s loyal and uses whatever she can to defend her friends be it her smarts or her power, but she’s also not an over the top super hero, she knows when to ask for help from her friends. She also has so much patience… her interactions with the super religious cult leader Mrs. Franklin and her brainwashed cult following mother are outwardly calm and logical, even though when I was reading I was screaming frustrations at the pages, they were such well written antagonists.
When we first meet Charles, it’s the banter between him and Sophia that had me rooting for him. They are adorable together! Then he gets really mysterious as the plot thickens and he has a major hero complex that gets worked out frequently and not always to the results he wants. As a boyfriend to Sophia, their relationship is pretty iffy at the beginning, but it eventually leads to some pretty steamy scenes.
The other characters such as Adrian, Ivory and Lauren worked really well as supports for Sophia, but what really caught me off guard was how when I had pushed one of these to the back of my mind as a boring background character they suddenly come roaring back as an integral character to the underlying plot.
All in all this was a really enjoyable read and I cannot wait to read more from Rebecca Hamilton!(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Shah Wharton rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was given this for review by the publisher.

My REVIEW
4.5/5

Well, this was a no brainer for me. Urban paranormal romance, spirits, vampires, weres, witches and an innovative redefining of all of the above. Throw in the torments of the present and visions of a tragic past, mix in enduring love and heartbreaking loss, and great teeming bouts of emotion as a consequence and you pretty much know what it was like to read this book.

It wasn't perfect. But what is? My only real issue came with the relati...more I was given this for review by the publisher.

My REVIEW
4.5/5

Well, this was a no brainer for me. Urban paranormal romance, spirits, vampires, weres, witches and an innovative redefining of all of the above. Throw in the torments of the present and visions of a tragic past, mix in enduring love and heartbreaking loss, and great teeming bouts of emotion as a consequence and you pretty much know what it was like to read this book.

It wasn't perfect. But what is? My only real issue came with the relationship between Sophia and Charles - I don't want to spoilt it though, so I'll just say that I found it somewhat unbelievable in parts, a little too restrained, although the morsels of 'heat' were deliciously tantalising. To me, this relationship read a bit like a YA novel. Two hot-bloodied, adults spending almost all their time together, for over six months, during death defying experiences, yet still they feel unable to come together? They eventually do, but it just takes a while.

It was therefore a little frustrating at times throughout the mid-section. I kept screaming at them, "Oh what's stopping you?" Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking for scenes of flesh and sweat, rather the background nod that it had happened. I needed a reason why, I think. But thats just me. This tiny issue didn't spoil the experience of the book, mind you, because all other elements were delightful. And the ending wasn't a disappointment, either. :)

I really enjoyed the sweet romance/enduring love which came midway through the book, when the very distant past is bought into the present for a few chapters. Again, I don't wish to spoil it for you, so can't say why. Read it and find out :)

Sophia was a realistic heroine. She wasn't the archetypal weakling, nor the kick ass Buffy re-hash, I do so tire of. Don't get me wrong, she was no doormat, but her fragility was clear and unashamed, largely. I would award this book 4.5/5. It stuck with me for a while after I stopped reading. It was emotional, fun and I enjoyed every minute of the journey. I will follow this author and this series. Indeed, I look forward to the next exciting installment: Her Sweetest Downfall. Forever Girls Journals - Ophelia.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 14, 2012 Robert Zimmermann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazing-books-amazing-authors, favorite-books-of-2012

Title: The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey
Author: Rebecca Hamilton
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Over the week I have been reading The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey by Rebecca Hamilton. This is the first in the Forever Girl series and I hope future titles are just as enjoyable a read as this first one was.

The book revolves around the character of Sophia. She is a twenty something college graduate living in a small town inColorado. She lives alone in her deceased grandfather’s house, works at the town dinner a...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Writing a review of this novel is almost impossible without making some comparison to the Twilight Series, so I'm going to get this out of the way up front. First of all, I'm not a hater of Twilight; I didn't love what I've read of the series so far, but I thought that they were decent books and I applaud Stephenie Meyer for all that she has accomplished. Sophia's Journey does have some similarities in tone, feel, and plot to Twilight. However, there are significant differences between the two t...more Writing a review of this novel is almost impossible without making some comparison to the Twilight Series, so I'm going to get this out of the way up front. First of all, I'm not a hater of Twilight; I didn't love what I've read of the series so far, but I thought that they were decent books and I applaud Stephenie Meyer for all that she has accomplished. Sophia's Journey does have some similarities in tone, feel, and plot to Twilight. However, there are significant differences between the two that make the start of this series so much better. To start with, Rebecca Hamilton's writing style is much more engaging and her imagery is much more vivid. Also, the character's are a bit older and I didn't feel myself being inundated with all of the teenage angst that Meyer's books ladled on so thickly. Yes, the developing love story is there and there some indecision about whether or not those involved should be involved with one another, but this is handled so much better and is not nearly as annoying as in Twilight. The biggest and most impressive difference between the two is the mythology that Hamilton has created into her story compared to that in Twilight.

Indeed we have vampires (of a sort here), but these vampires don't stay out of the sun because it makes them shiny, they have more traditional reasons. What makes this novel "shine", is Hamilton's creation of a mythos of elementals. Each type of elementals has their own abilities, powers, life-span, etc. that makes each unique. I felt that her myth building was much more believable, so to speak, that that presented in the Twilight series and that, in turn, got me more involved in the storyline.

The characters are also well written and developed and there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the pace moving and interesting. The love story could be a bit much for me at times and I admit to rolling my eyes a bit at the descriptions of exactly what people were wearing, but I'm not exactly in the target audience for this particular type of novel and I expected to encounter at least a little of these types of things and they did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. I truly found this to be an entertaining novel and will be continuing along with the series as it progresses.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Kayleigh Grian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, ebooks-owned, gifted-won

*Disclaimer*: I did win a free copy of this book from the author during a Twitter event. This however did not influence my review in any way.

In her New Adult paranormal/urban fantasy novel, The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey author Rebecca Hamilton brings a fresh and exciting twist to the classic vampire and shape shifter saga. Sophia Parsons discovers a whole world of immortal creatures exist alongside humans when she attempts to rid herself of the constant static that invades her mind. She cas...more *Disclaimer*: I did win a free copy of this book from the author during a Twitter event. This however did not influence my review in any way.

In her New Adult paranormal/urban fantasy novel, The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey author Rebecca Hamilton brings a fresh and exciting twist to the classic vampire and shape shifter saga. Sophia Parsons discovers a whole world of immortal creatures exist alongside humans when she attempts to rid herself of the constant static that invades her mind. She casts a spell hoping to quiet the noise, but instead the noise changes into murmurs and whispers that she can’t quite understand. Along the way Sophia is thrust into this strange and dangerous cast of characters while trying to rid herself of the family curse causing the noise, including Charles whom she feels an instant connection with. She quickly learns that no one is who she thought they were, and popular myths of witches and vampires have a bit of truth to them.

Hamilton definitely did her research for this novel and accurately depicts the Wiccan rituals and beliefs, right down to the discrimination Wiccans face in towns so small that there’s no escaping the rumor mill. She also does a wonderful job with the dialogue, and I loved some of the off the cuff remarks made between Sophia and Charles, as well as Sophia’s internal thoughts. I quickly began to feel the emotions racing through Sophia, especially when it came to her hesitations in the romance department and the fear of being hurt.

The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars, and I wanted to very much, was there were a few times where I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle Sophia and her insecurities. The back and forth waiting to see if Charles and Sophia were going to finally give in to their feelings drove me crazy. It was just a tad much for me, but for fans of romance novels it may not be. There were a few more elements that were a little hard to believe but I can’t go into too much detail without giving away spoilers, so suffice it to say that I work with law enforcement during my day job and once or twice things didn’t happen as it would in the real world. These are easy to overlook in the scheme of things and didn’t ruin the novel for me at all, but felt I had to note it :). Overall I loved the book and I cannot wait for the next in the series!(less)

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Feb 21, 2012 Mini rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, urban-fantasy, occult, wicca, friendly-authors, must-reads, amazing-book-find, author-is-a-sweetheart, author-who-support-other-authors, author-who-supports-book-bloggers, authors-who-advocate-for-autism, awesome-indies, favorite-books, following-author-on-twitter, new-favorites, sweetest-authors

A very good and fascinating read I would say. And am so thankful to Becca for sending me a copy of the book. Once I started it, I never felt like putting it down.The book takes you to an entirely different world.And I really loved the way how each creature is linked to an element. The chapter 'Ivory's Memories' so beautifully written, took me to an entirely different world.I could feel the character's pain and won't deny shedding a few tears (yeah, yeah ! call me crazy).

I feel like Sophia's mot...more

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May 28, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

Honestly, I have no clue how this book has so many 5-star reviews. It didn't suck - the writing was very good - but the story wasn't. The author is a good writer. She needs to work on her story, though, if that makes sense. I found myself skimming large chunks of the book. I didn't feel emotionally attached to a single character. Charles (the love interest) was boring and had the personality of a sticker. Actually, that's how I felt about all of the characters. None of them were developed or int...more Honestly, I have no clue how this book has so many 5-star reviews. It didn't suck - the writing was very good - but the story wasn't. The author is a good writer. She needs to work on her story, though, if that makes sense. I found myself skimming large chunks of the book. I didn't feel emotionally attached to a single character. Charles (the love interest) was boring and had the personality of a sticker. Actually, that's how I felt about all of the characters. None of them were developed or interesting. I was bored with the story and the characters and had to MAKE myself finish the book. Nothing ever really happened.

The romance in the book... snooze. They went from insulting each other to BAM! Instalove. Where was the build-up? There was no transition at all. Just, I dislike you, to bam! Let's move in together, even though we aren't even really intimate with each other, and even though we don't know each other, and even though we're keeping secrets from each other. We didn't even see the relationship develop. They started insulting each other, five minutes later they're flirting - poorly, by the way - and then in the next chapter, "Charles and I had been dating for three months." Huh? Really? No development at all.

I also didn't buy the "Christian" villain in the book. Look. I don't care how devout you are, a devout Christian like Mrs. Franklin in the book wouldn't pay a lick of attention to some silly Wiccan girl that thinks she can perform rituals to give positive energy or some crap like that. She'd think she was strange and she might think she's "in league with Satan" or some crap like that, but there are other people she'd attack before she'd start nagging the town's lone hippy chick who thinks she can commune with the elements. I think she'd be harassing all of the gays in the area before she'd bother with one Wiccan girl and freaking burn down her house. It just wasn't believable. I mean, how do you go from just sticking non-threatening Bible verses on the girl's door (which, yeah, a crazy devout lady MIGHT do) to burning the house down (totally wouldn't do)? Again, no build-up, no escalation of threat or activities, etc. She went from obnoxious notes to burning down a house. I just can't help but think her subtle threats would escalate before she resorted to arson.

Like I said, good writing, boring characters, poor story, uninteresting plot. (less)

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Mar 17, 2012 Ivana rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading the enticing summary and sample chapter, it grabbed me immediately so I jumped at the chance when I saw Rebecca's tweet about offering The Forever Girl to reviewers.
It was nothing short of fantastic. My fears that this book would fall into the usual traps of paranormal romance were dissolved quickly. Here are the reasons why it fit me perfectly:
Sophia is a Wiccan, and Rebecca does a great job describing the rituals and the essence of Wicca. Naturally, Sophia's "pagan" beliefs are n...more After reading the enticing summary and sample chapter, it grabbed me immediately so I jumped at the chance when I saw Rebecca's tweet about offering The Forever Girl to reviewers.
It was nothing short of fantastic. My fears that this book would fall into the usual traps of paranormal romance were dissolved quickly. Here are the reasons why it fit me perfectly:
Sophia is a Wiccan, and Rebecca does a great job describing the rituals and the essence of Wicca. Naturally, Sophia's "pagan" beliefs are not welcome in her small town. Same applies for homosexuals, if you ask the religious freaks that harass Sophia. I felt her frustrations like my own. To the point.
I loved it's dark atmosphere, palpable anxiety and danger. Sophia is a troubled girl, haunted by her past and her present and an uncertain future, and the fatigue in her voice was constantly there. Rebecca made it easy to feel what it's like in Sophia's shoes. Also, Sophia is my age exactly, fresh out of college without a job. Another know-what-it-feels-like moment. Though she's not the funniest girl to be around, she felt real, and I always appreciate that.
The mythical creatures described in the novel are well-developed and given more depth than simply being classified as vampires or witches.
The romance is not rushed. Charles and Sophia, despite the instant attraction, are aware of the position they are in. They both stick to their own priorities, think things over and try to meet halfway, voice their concerns and keep cool heads when it comes to facing real-life issues, which makes for a very mature relationship. Something many paranormal romances lack. Might be because this one is not YA, rather new adult and I'd expect that anyway, but it was just nice, for a change.
As for the romance per se-perfectly captured moments of love, care, passion and tenderness.
There were bits that freaked me out! I'm not easily scared by books, but some scenes made me turn the light back on and double check that there are no ghost girls staring through my window.
Final verdict: if you enjoy urban fantasy/paranormal romance, do yourself a favor and read The Forever Girl. It's an amazing high quality representative of its genre, well-written, exciting and gripping, a book that's almost impossible to put down.(less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Jen McConnel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-fantasy, paranormal-romance

Sophia has returned to her small Colorado town after college, but she doesn't really want to be there. Her mother's church is openly intolerant to her Wiccan faith, and because she witnessed a murder years ago, the rest of the town doesn't quite trust her. But all of that pales in comparison to the supernatural mess she finds herself in after accompanying her best friend, Ivory, to a paranormal club.

Earth elementals (vampires) begin hunting her, and Sophia must learn the secrets of her soul if s...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Lauren Kate

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, magic, supernatural-series, young-adult

Sophia Parsons is struggling to survive after college while working at a diner in the small, judgmental Colorado town where she lives in the house she inherited from her grandfather. Not only does she have to deal with a dead end job, but the leader of her mother's church wants Sophia to sell her the house and rid the town of her "evil" Wiccan ways. Each day is a challenge with the threats from Mrs. Franklin until Sophia meets Charles and discovers an unknown world where her talents are more tha...more Sophia Parsons is struggling to survive after college while working at a diner in the small, judgmental Colorado town where she lives in the house she inherited from her grandfather. Not only does she have to deal with a dead end job, but the leader of her mother's church wants Sophia to sell her the house and rid the town of her "evil" Wiccan ways. Each day is a challenge with the threats from Mrs. Franklin until Sophia meets Charles and discovers an unknown world where her talents are more than a disability.

Rebecca Hamilton is a new author on the supernatural scene, but on the basis of her first Forever Girl book, I believe she'll be here to stay. The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey starts Sophia's journey into the supernatural world where the voices in her head have meaning and the drastic changes that will come to happen in her life. It is a Wiccan coming of age story with a love story and supernatural revolution rolled into the background. There is a good flow to the book and I was sucked in by the end of the first chapter. I'd suggest you don't start this late at night because you will struggle to put it down. I know I did and finally had to pause at 2 am when I starting taking long blinks and almost rolled my laptop off my lap.

While the protagonist, Sophia, is 22, this book is well suited for young adults. There is little swearing and the minimal sex and violence (which occurs more at the end of the book) is not graphic by any stretch of the imagination. The cover image, by the way, doesn't really express the feel of the books. Though the main character is a Wiccan, the book does not have a goth feel. It does have vampires (Cruor) and shapeshifters (Strigoi) and fans of the genre will enjoy it. It has the same feel as Lauren Kate's Fallen series though the supernatural elements differ. I'm looking forward to the second book, Come, the Dark: Cordovae's Journey, which is due out next year.

I plan on recommending this to a few friends with teenage daughters.

Disclosure: I was provided a free e-copy of the book by the author for review.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Sam Fresh Fantasy Fiction rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fresh-fantasy-fiction

This book is about Sophia, a 22 year old fresh out of college, living in a small town rife with religious prejudices and working a dead end job.....Who has a curse and a mystery to solve.

What I love is that although this book has Vampires, Witches and Shape shifters it feels real, and most importantly FRESH. The main character Sophia practices Wicca, a nature based pagan religion. The vampires are different to what has come before: There is a new twist on the genre. The Shape Shifters are based...more

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May 16, 2013 S.M. Blooding rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult

This book was a bit of a surprise to me. I must admit, when I took this book on as a review, it wasn’t at the top of my list. I wasn’t very hopeful. I was like, “Okay, it could be good if the witch element clicks, but there’s vampires. And you know how you are about vampires.”

So I set to the book with low expectations.

It blew them out of the park. The book was just a lot of FUN to read! Sophia just has a great voice and I admit I laughed. A lot! I don’t think I was supposed to laugh at all the l...more

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Aug 16, 2012 C.J. Listro rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, occult, paranormal, urban-fantasy, reviewed, romance

Read more

The Basics: It’s not difficult to tell why this book has been blowing up the book blog world. Hamilton has an ear for pretty descriptions and a head for an exciting, twisty plot. Nothing is as it seems in the world of Sophia Parsons. Just when you think you understand the game, everything shifts. I really enjoyed the Sophia and Charles romance—very sweet and well done, and if you’re more of a romance fan than me, you’ll adore it even more! The supporting cast was a little sporadic, but...more Read more

The Basics: It’s not difficult to tell why this book has been blowing up the book blog world. Hamilton has an ear for pretty descriptions and a head for an exciting, twisty plot. Nothing is as it seems in the world of Sophia Parsons. Just when you think you understand the game, everything shifts. I really enjoyed the Sophia and Charles romance—very sweet and well done, and if you’re more of a romance fan than me, you’ll adore it even more! The supporting cast was a little sporadic, but all the characters felt fully realized. Even through a few draggy bits that could have been cut, I was fascinated by the fantasy world Hamilton has created. It’s a take on vampires like you’ve never seen before, plus a whole host of clever mythological hybrids that I couldn’t get enough of.

Plot (3/5): Most of the time, I was paging through quickly, excited for the next piece. The twists keep you guessing; this is anything but predictable! Especially during the first half and the last half. Only a few parts dragged. One, I thought the romance between Sophia and Charles got too intense too quickly. But other than that, I thought their progression was sweet and I really enjoyed them together. Also, I liked hearing Ivory’s story but it was just too long right in the middle of intense action. The ending could have been shorter too. I didn’t really need the slow denouement.

Concept (5/5): One of the most clever takes on vampires I’ve seen. Hamilton sets up a world of elementals that gels perfectly with the Wiccan backdrop and ties in lots of fun mythology. I thought her stories of the Universe and the creations of the elementals were brilliant! Original, very well thought-out, and they just had this atmosphere of magical-ness. Top notch.

Characters (5/5): I love Sophia. Even when she annoyed me, it was in an, “Oh, you silly girl” endearing way. She felt like a friend by the end. Charles is a nice break from Mr. Controlling. He had a few moments of being too domineering, but in the end, he let Sophia do her own thing and helped her grow. Some of the side characters didn’t get a lot of play time, but I still felt like I knew them quite well. Mrs. Franklin was an eerily fantastic addition.

Style (4/5): Hamilton’s writing is largely very pretty and very clear. I could imagine everything extremely well. She has a great sense of atmosphere, which is important in any book. Only, there were too many adjectives for my taste. I didn’t really need to know the exactly color or texture or brand of everything. I didn’t need everything to be stripped out, either. Sometimes, a very detailed description is a great accent. I just didn’t like so much of it.

Mechanics (5/5): A couple typos, but nothing that I noticed more than in passing. The book is very well formatted in general. Hamilton has a great sense of grammar, which always makes me smile. Yeah, I’m a grammar nazi. Deal with it.

Take Home Message: An exciting, fresh take on supernaturals with its own mythology. Must-read for any fans of the paranormal.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Susan May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

ETERNALLY TALENTED

‘The Forever Girl’ should come with a warning, “This book will transform you into an Urban Fantasy fan”. After reading the Twilight books, I decided that I am not a fan of romance between humans and creatures of the night. I like my vampires full of bite and without compassion.

What makes ‘The Forever Girl’ by Rebecca Hamilton a cut about the average urban fantasy is the writing. She has a talent for weaving words. “I tilted my chin closer to his face, the distance between our l...more ETERNALLY TALENTED

‘The Forever Girl’ should come with a warning, “This book will transform you into an Urban Fantasy fan”. After reading the Twilight books, I decided that I am not a fan of romance between humans and creatures of the night. I like my vampires full of bite and without compassion.

What makes ‘The Forever Girl’ by Rebecca Hamilton a cut about the average urban fantasy is the writing. She has a talent for weaving words. “I tilted my chin closer to his face, the distance between our lips shrinking to nothing more than a breath.” That is a neat phrase. Throw in intriguing plot twists and you have a good read no matter your genre taste.

Sophia Parsons has a lot on her mind. She’s a practicing Wiccan and a cult in Belle Meadow wants her out of the community, vilifying her at every opportunity. Then there is the hissing noise and voices in her head that won’t go away. She discovers one of her relatives in the sixteen hundreds was slaughtered as a true witch which sets her on a path to discover how this heritage is impacting her modern day life.

Her search takes her one night to Club Flesh, encouraged by her friend, Ivory, who tells her a friend there possesses an antique book which may help. There she meets Charles—a mysterious and seductive man—and is later chased by strange creatures through the forrest and almost killed. She learns that these are the Cruor, vampire types, who’ve existed secretly for thousands of years.
As the romance between Charles and Sophia grows—and trust me, it is page-turning—it is clear that Sophia’s past and present are going to collide in a dangerous way.
Hamilton explains that ‘The Forever Girl’ grew from the characters who took over the story. She says, “As I explored the mythology of this world more and more, the trilogy soon turned into a series.”

It was a wise move by this first time author to follow her characters. The fantasy world is rich, the characters fascinating, and Hamilton’s skill very capable of holding a reader’s interest through many more books of Sophia’s journey.

Visit http://anadventureinreading.blogspot.... for more reviews & author interviews.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Carrie Lim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban, paranormal, shapeshifters, romance, magic, witches, immortals, won-from-giveaway, fantasy

Just finished. Wow. Can't really gather all my thoughts yet. This story sure took me on for a ride. Please excuse my incoherent rambling. My feelings are all over the place right now.

I read the summary thinking it was going to be a typical paranormal romance (even if I haven't read many paranormal romances, I knew the formula). Vampire like creatures. Shape-shifters and witches. Oh, and let's not forget the forbidden romance. Boy, was I wrong. There's so much more to it than that. And the more i...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Tabitha rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranorman romance fans, romance fans, hot leading character fans

Shelves: own-ebook, digital-reads, favorites, for-review, paranormal, want-to-own-physical-copy

So let me preface this review by saying that this ebook was sent to me by the author and I will be sending her this review, which I assume she will read (::waves:: Hi Rebecca!) so I am rather nervous. I apologize in advance if this one turns out a little more awkward than most. Here we go!

I was a little excited to start this not only because it sounded interesting, but also because it would be the very first novel I read on Luna (my kindle). Yes, I know, I am a dork, but still. It is written in...more So let me preface this review by saying that this ebook was sent to me by the author and I will be sending her this review, which I assume she will read (::waves:: Hi Rebecca!) so I am rather nervous. I apologize in advance if this one turns out a little more awkward than most. Here we go!

I was a little excited to start this not only because it sounded interesting, but also because it would be the very first novel I read on Luna (my kindle). Yes, I know, I am a dork, but still. It is written in first person, which is always a plus for me. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop, staying up several hours later than I should have knowing I was going to have to get up at 7 the next morning to get to work.

This novel centers around a girl named Sophia who has some type of supernatural condition that causes a constant whispering sound to fill her head. Sometimes it is overpowering enough that she can’t hear her own thoughts. Add this to the fact that the town’s group of crazy Christian’s is harassing her and the fact that she is struggling to make ends meet and I’d say she has a rather stressful life. After finally deciding she has had enough, she casts a wiccan spell to try to remove the whispering and it only makes it worse. Then her friend Ivory drags her to a club where she meets a strange, very attractive man (named Charles) and then gets chased through woods and attacked (though not by said hot guy). She passes out during the attack and when she awakes, she is thrusted into a world where vampires, shifters, and all manner of supernatural beings exist.

Speaking of the supernatural beings, I loved the lore behind them. I loved the fact that she doesn’t use the term vampire or shifter or were-animal, instead being more creative and creating new terms for them. I won’t try to explain them because I know I’ll just fuck it up, but I really enjoyed that. I also loved that Sophia’s relationship with Charles progresses over a period of time. It’s not that instalove that is so present in writing today. You see them struggle with their attraction to each other and then start dating and then say the L word, in a completely realistic time frame. This novel also had a twist that I didn’t see coming at all. I won’t tell you what it is because I am striving to stay spoiler-free (in this review at least) but I was really shocked.

The only complaint I have is the gaps in time. There are a few times where the novel just skips a month and while I know that if I want my main characters relationship to grow over a period of time, I cannot expect to hear about every moment of it, but I felt like the missing months could have used just a bit more description.
All in all, if you love paranormal romance, this is for you. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait to read the next one!

****Thank you to Rebecca Hamilton for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review****(less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Aishah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sophia Parsons ' family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves...

Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernatural who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.

As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shape shifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally.
But can she trust him...more

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Melissa Levine I have just finished reading this 1st book in the series and was looking through the reviews. I wasn't a fan of this book and was looking for other lo...more
Feb 20, 2013 01:10pm

Aishah Melissa wrote: "I have just finished reading this 1st book in the series and was looking through the reviews. I wasn't a fan of this book and was look...more
Feb 21, 2013 08:46am

Jan 16, 2013 Noree Cosper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, occult, paranormal-fantasy, new-adult, great-books-from-great-authors, paranormal-romance

Premise: Sophia Parsons is a young women in who has to deal with diversity because she is a Wiccan. Not only that, but she also has a constant static in her head that drives her to distraction. To try and stop this static Sophia does a ritual. However, all it does is release the skeletons in the family closet and introduce her to the supernatural world hidden beneath the mortal one.

The Good:
Wicca: A book with Wiccans. There need to be more of these!

Style: Rebecca seamlessly combines Urban Fantas...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic, vampires, demons-magic-weres

This book was a gift by Rebecca Hamilton herself and I want to thank her for that! But I have to say that the fact that this is a 5-star-review has nothing to do with the fact that the book was a present from the author! I wouldn't write a good review if I didn't really like a book because it's not in my character to do so!

So, back to my review! It’s always amazing to find that such a book exists! “The Forever Girl” is definitely a unique book. I haven’t read something like that for a long time!...more This book was a gift by Rebecca Hamilton herself and I want to thank her for that! But I have to say that the fact that this is a 5-star-review has nothing to do with the fact that the book was a present from the author! I wouldn't write a good review if I didn't really like a book because it's not in my character to do so!

So, back to my review! It’s always amazing to find that such a book exists! “The Forever Girl” is definitely a unique book. I haven’t read something like that for a long time! Mysterious and dark, this story has many things to tell and more to imagine.

The way the author writes is very lyrical and I have to admit that too many times while I was reading the book, I thought that I was part of the story. The book is full of images and interesting characters. Nothing is as it seems and the reader has to be very careful not to miss anything. Rebecca Hamilton has create a very mysterious and complex world-building that I enjoyed very much! She took the myth of vampires and shape-shifters in another level and it’s very refreshing! It’s one of those books that helps the reader’s imagination to travel through the story. It was like seeing a movie!

I loved all the characters in the book, even the bad ones, because they’re not predictable. Sophia is a young woman and a brave one. Although she is a lonely person it doesn’t seem to bother her. This loneliness comes from the fact that she has a secret. She hears voices in her head. And in a small town like the one she lives in, her only choice is to get close with a few people as possible. The fact that she is a Wicca doesn’t help much either! I liked her a lot because she doesn’t judge people because of their origins. She isn’t easily scared and always doing her best under difficult circumstances. I also liked Charles. He is very mysterious at first but his interest for Sophia is more than obvious from the beginning. My opinion is that although he is a very important character in the book sometimes it feels like a secondary. It’s not bad at all because this proves that the plot is more important than the romance.

I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. The descriptions, the places, the characters… everything is so well-written that it’s impossible not to enjoy this book! Finally, I have to admit that I loved the fact that in the book there is a kind of travel through history, because I am a historian myself!

So, I absolutely recommend this book to all the fans of this genre because it was a great read! I am looking forward for the next one!
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Aug 17, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book falls under Urban paranormal romance and I really enjoyed it. I felt like this was a similar genre to Twilight, but better! I enjoyed Twilight, but felt like the characters lacked substance and it was repetitive.

The Forever Girl is like Twilight, but with substance, interesting characters and good writing and a good story. There are many more layers to this world, but I never felt like I couldn't keep up. I really enjoyed her action scenes. Right away it sucked me in and I kept reading...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Yodamom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: new-authors, urban-fantasy

2.5-3
OK, I have mixed feelings on this book. Reading it was an experience good and bad. It was all over the place. The story was interesting the world was unique and had so much potential....but the author keep going off on extreme details that had nothing to do with the story. I think she has great potential, with a really good editor. Her world building was very good as was her character development. Fantastic characters ! Edited I think it could jump to a 4 star. Really a great job for a firs...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a Wonderful story. All the characters were very interesting, the plot was spellbinding, and the story flowed so easily, I had a hard time puting it down! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to all.

4 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2012 Daria Chenowith rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like the book, because at first Sophia seemed like an interesting character, and I appreciated how her Wiccan belief was portrayed - but the book soon turned unreadable for me. The world-building is done with random info dumps, character conflicts are solved in side sentences after being such a big deal for large parts of the book; I couldn't relate to any of the characters after a while, worst of all Sophia herself. Add a dash of bad cliché, and 2 stars is the most optimistic...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Georgina Merry rated it 4 of 5 stars

~ This review originally appeared on http://theferrymanswife.blogspot.co.uk/ ~

Excellently written and easy to read, The Forever Girl is a fantastic choice for paranormal romance lovers. Even though it’s more a coming-of-age story, it could certainly be appreciated by a 15+ Young Adult audience. Sophia’s transition from petulant youth to strong young woman is gradual, but convincing, and easy to identify with. There are also plenty of supernatural beings and mystical goings on to whet your appeti...more ~ This review originally appeared on http://theferrymanswife.blogspot.co.uk/ ~

Excellently written and easy to read, The Forever Girl is a fantastic choice for paranormal romance lovers. Even though it’s more a coming-of-age story, it could certainly be appreciated by a 15+ Young Adult audience. Sophia’s transition from petulant youth to strong young woman is gradual, but convincing, and easy to identify with. There are also plenty of supernatural beings and mystical goings on to whet your appetite.

The romance plays a big part in this story. It unfolds subtly, if somewhat assumedly, but it's tender and loving all the same. Sadly, it didn’t make my heart didn’t throb, which is a must for me when enjoying romance. I suppose it all depends on what you look for in a fictional romantic interest. In this I found him to be a little two-dimensional for the most part. I prefer plenty of personality to fall in love with, as opposed to repeatedly reading about the colour of someone’s eyes, but hey! That’s just me. It was only at the end that I started to get a feel for who he really was. I imagine that as this being the first in a series, there’s more of the main characters romance to come.

At first I wasn’t sure I liked Sophia, finding her a little weak and simpering, considering the hardships she’d endured by the start of the story. After finishing I’m still not sure if I liked her, but I definitely preferred her fiery, fighting side which came out towards the end. Regardless, the narrative works well being told from her perspective. As much as she and I may not be best pals in real life, there is something to be said for a believable, consistent and well-rounded main character.

Perhaps I was reading between the lines, but there were aspects of this book I took to be allegorical. There are various points in which certain topics were presented in such a way as to having universal relevance. These gave an otherwise fantasy story a deeper edge, which I enjoyed. The Wicca references added a nice touch as well, especially as the author clearly had experience of the craft. I couldn’t really be bothered with the vampires/Cruor, but thankfully they were atypical and didn’t suck the substance from the story.

While my overall experience of this book was good, I didn’t feel much of a sense of impending danger in the build-up to the finale. However, the climax is gruesome and action-packed, and every bit the story I was hoping for. What I will say is that after reading a little about what’s to come in the series, I’ll definitely be looking out for the next instalment.
(less)

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About Rebecca Hamilton

Rebecca Hamilton writes Paranormal Fantasy, Horror, and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and three kids, along with multiple writing personalities that range from morbid to literary. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently.

Rebecca Hamilton is represented by the ever-more-amazing R...more

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Quotes from The Forever Girl

“Faith, Sophia. Life isn’t always going to give you the answers to the questions you’re asking. Sometimes you have to make do with the answers you get.” — 11 people liked it

“Be true in love, this you must do, unless your love is false to you. With these words, the Rede fulfill: An it harm none, do what ye will.” — 9 people liked it

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