Refuge

Feb 28, 2013 Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who want to laugh.

Recommended to Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} by: myself, because I'm apparently good at punishing myself, which sounds dirty.

Shelves: arcs, cover-lust, young-adult, paranormal-romance-fiction, e-books, one-star

ARC supplied by NetGalley and Cedar Ford Inc. in exchange for an honest review.

"Hello, and welcome to another episode of Shove Insta-Love! Today, we have a jaw-dropping new world record - by page 21, and less than three conversations, Laney and Gabe are sickeningly and laughably in love with each other. Stay tuned for more groan-inducing interviews and critique!"

REFUGE is, quite frankly, a strange book. A terrible and strange book.

Laney, of course, is an orphan, like most young-adult heroines...more

24 likes · like · see review

Aug 13, 2012 Katy rated it 1 of 5 stars

I feel really bad that I couldn't give this book a higher rating, but honestly, I would be lying if I said anything other than I did not like this book at all.

From the summary, I really had no clue what this book was going to be about, and I was curious to learn more about Gabe's "mysterious disease" and this "thrilling romance" that is "full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page." However, after reading the first two chapters, I knew exactly what was going to happen. This stor...more I feel really bad that I couldn't give this book a higher rating, but honestly, I would be lying if I said anything other than I did not like this book at all.

From the summary, I really had no clue what this book was going to be about, and I was curious to learn more about Gabe's "mysterious disease" and this "thrilling romance" that is "full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page." However, after reading the first two chapters, I knew exactly what was going to happen. This story was beyond predictable - from Laney's situation and Gabe's illness to Matthew's role and everyone's fate at the end.

But what kept me from giving it the two-star "okay" rating was the writing, which was simple and non-engaging. And really, I can deal with a cliche, predictable story, but this book failed to capture my interest at all, and the story development actually annoyed me in a number of instances.

First of all, I don't have a big problem with instalove, but in this book, I really did not care for it. The immediate attraction was just glossed over, so I couldn't connect with the characters and why they were so drawn to each other, and then all of a sudden, they are obsessively thinking about each other. And to follow it with "And, the trouble is, if it were only my eyes that might be full of tears, that would be one thing, but she just lost her whole family. She doesn't need any more disasters in her life." While it was poetically beautiful, what kind of teenage boy talks like that? And "Dad, I don't know if I can live without her. I don't know if I even want to…" Pretty serious for someone who's been on one date and hasn't even kissed the girl yet.

And I did not like how this book was just so jammed packed with depressing things - the car accident, Sam being autistic, the Gabe's illness. Just when I thought, "Enough already," something else is thrown at me. It was almost as if Rummage was trying to reach for anything to pull at my heart strings. For me, it didn't really work because I was trying to hard to like the main storyline.

The thing that really bothered me was how the story unfolded, having already guessed where the story was going from the very beginning. It wasn't until near the very end that Laney discovered what was going on. Really? Come on now. To top it all off, it was the way she found out. It wasn't her catching Gabe in the middle of the act or that she had some traumatic event that forces her to confront him. No, she came to the realization on her own while sitting in her room.

Like I said, I don't mind reading a typical book in a certain genre (I don't want to ruin the story so I'll leave it at that). But for this book, it was just TOO predictable, which would have been fine had Rummage not try to drag out the big secret until near the end. The story had potential to be interesting enough. Unfortunately, I just thought the delivery was executed poorly. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Renae M. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, paranormal, werewolves, published-2012, debut-2012

Once upon a time, Laney moved to a new town in The South. In this stereotypical town, everyone talked with a bad accent, watched NASCAR, and went to church. The first thing Laney did was visit the local wildlife refuge, where she promptly got attacked by a bear.

Then bam! The most inhumanly gorgeous boy ever to exist ran in and saved her. Afterward, they shared a short conversation. The boy’s name was Gabe.

Upon arriving back home, Laney had this to say: “She felt like she was whole when she was w...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 24, 2012 Elle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-netgalley, clueless-female-protagonist, fiction, i-read-so-you-don-t-have-to, not-realistic, pnr, romance, werewolves, young-adult

The original review can be found here: http://www.yourentertainmentcorner.co....

Refuge can be used as a lesson on what not to do in Novel Writing 101. The plot is weak (if I can even say there is one), the characters are two-dimensional, and the writing is mediocre. Rummage does a lot to describe the area in the South where the story takes place, but there is nothing to grab the reader’s attention to make them want to continue reading. I didn’t care about the characters. I thought I’d quit at th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Arlena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, a-good-book, ebooks, my-reviews, mystery, romance, teen, twist-and-turns, young-adult

Author: Carole Rummage
Published by: Cedar Fort, Inc
Age Recommended: 12 - YA
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4

Review:

"Refuge" by Carole Rummage was a sweet teen-YA fantasy (with red wolves and bears)romance novel. Even though I found "Refuge" somewhat predictable it was still a good novel to read. We find Laney Lowell has lost both of her parents due to a car accident...she moves from Salt Lake City, Utah to Columbia, North Carolina while grieving to live with her Aunt and Uncl...more

like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Aleesha rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is perfect for the audience it was intended for. If you are an older adult looking for serious romance with an adult couple, then look elsewhere because that is NOT what this book was intended to be. Teenagers experience emotion in an entirely different way, it is a very passionate and intense kind of a feeling that brings with it highs and lows that are extreme. To me, Dark Light Dance portrayed that very well. I have to wonder if some of the reviewers even remember being teenagers th...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Laney feels lost and alone when she moves in with her Aunt and Uncle, this is until she decides to run one morning in the forest nearby. Named the Refuge for the red wolves the town is trying to save from being extinct. Laney meets Gabe while he is out getting inspiration for his next art project. He and Laney find out they have much in common, save for the disease Gabe and his older brother have. What disease, no one knows.
This is a Young Adult novel. I think that if you enjoyed Twilight, or...more

like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Aug 13, 2012 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found the Refuge ARC on Netgalley, and the blurb caught my attention.

Laney Lowell moved across the country to escape her past, not to fall in love. But when she becomes friends with Gabe, a handsome artist plagued by a mysterious disease, she'll have to decide between facing his dark truth or walking away from him forever. This thrilling romance is full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page.

While I enjoyed aspects of this story, it definitely didn't keep me "guessing until the...more

like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Aimee rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I picked this book up at NetGalley (throwing out a bit of NetGalley love). Honestly it was the cover that really drew me in first. I love those golds and browns. So pretty.

Well, I have to say that there weren't a lot of twists that kept me guessing to the last page in this book. It was a pretty obvious plot line but there were good things to be had in this book.

If you are not an insta love fan, then you might be a bit annoyed by this book. It really is an insta love kind of relationship...more

like · see review

Sep 29, 2012 AshleyiSee rated it 4 of 5 stars

17-year-old Laney Lowell has lost everything. During the national gymnastic qualifications meet, her world flips after learning her family has died in a car accident. As she moves from Salt Lake City, Utah to Columbia, North Carolina, Laney tries to move forward with an aunt and uncle whom she barley knows. It's her memories of the outdoors with her family that pulls her to the Refuge, a wildlife preserve where she meets Gabe Randall, who’s rumored to be infected with a serious disease. Ignoring...more 17-year-old Laney Lowell has lost everything. During the national gymnastic qualifications meet, her world flips after learning her family has died in a car accident. As she moves from Salt Lake City, Utah to Columbia, North Carolina, Laney tries to move forward with an aunt and uncle whom she barley knows. It's her memories of the outdoors with her family that pulls her to the Refuge, a wildlife preserve where she meets Gabe Randall, who’s rumored to be infected with a serious disease. Ignoring warnings Laney can’t help but fall in love with him, finding light in her world of dark grieving. As she gets closer to discovering his secret, their love will be put to a test she can’t prepare for.

I loved the cover of the book and the premise of the story, but after reading it I personally found it a bit of a disappointment. It gave me the impression it had potential as an adult crossover, but this is not the case. After researching the publishing company Cedar Fort, it made more sense. I appreciate that a religious publisher can publish a book that’s not consumed with religious themes. I felt that faith had an appearance in the book but it didn’t take over, which I enjoyed. However, Laney’s story isn’t anything new and I guessed at the ‘twist’ right from the first chapter.

Regardless, this book is full of love and secrets. I’d recommend this book for younger readers, around the ages of 12+. It’s a YA on a younger scale and for that I think Rummage did a wonderful job. She covers good values, has easy to relate to characters and describes a beautiful setting with some slight mystery and suspense. It’s well written for its market that has the opportunity for religious and non-religious exposure. For young readers that are looking to read something full of heart, Refuge is a great start.

Want to win a copy? Cedar Fort is doing a giveaway on Goodreads! US only, contest ends November 12, 2012.

Cedar Fort gave this book as an ARC for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and Carole Rummage!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 27, 2012 Valeria rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, annoying-protagonist, author-literally-lost-the-plot, boring, emergency-toilet-paper, insta-love

Ok, so I never thought this book would be for me. The only reason I decided to give it a shot was because I was intrigued by the "disease" mentioned in the blurb. My curiosity took over and I dived head first into the story.

Big mistake.

I quickly - after only 1 page - discovered that Refuge is the ultimate incarnation of boring, generic and just downright bad. It's the story of Laney, a typically boring heroine, who lives with her boring aunt and uncle in a boring little town with a tiny populat...more Ok, so I never thought this book would be for me. The only reason I decided to give it a shot was because I was intrigued by the "disease" mentioned in the blurb. My curiosity took over and I dived head first into the story.

Big mistake.

I quickly - after only 1 page - discovered that Refuge is the ultimate incarnation of boring, generic and just downright bad. It's the story of Laney, a typically boring heroine, who lives with her boring aunt and uncle in a boring little town with a tiny population - who are all boring. Naturally Laney is an orphan because the YA genre hates parents. Seriously, I have read only a handful of YA books where both parents are alive and well and caring for the hero/heroine as parents are supposed to do. What is up with that ? If you think a lack of parents - and therefore lack of rules - makes this story any less boring, then you are mistaken. Anyway back to the story. Laney goes walking in the woods. I forgot to mention she's just as stupid as she is boring because she doesn't bring any protection with her whatsoever and so predictably gets attacked by a bear and has to get rescued by Gabe. Obviously Gabe is the love interest, he fits the criteria of the boring love interest perfectly : he bravely saves the poor damsel in distress and happens to be extremely hot. They have an instant connection and spend the next hour spilling out their feelings/ life stories to each other because that's what you do when you meet a stranger in the woods, right ?

Now here is where the "downright bad" I mentioned earlier comes in. Laney and Gabe part and spend the next day and night obsessing over each other. Crazy obsessing. Unhealthy obsessing. Really scary obsessing. All they can think about is their one little meeting in the woods and how "right" it felt. Laney comments on the "electricity between them" how she is in danger of "falling for him". Commence eyeroll. They've known each other for all of an hour and frankly that "electricity" metaphor is the most overused in the whole of YA. Authors really need to find another way of describing attraction but in the case of Refuge, Carole Rummage needs to first actually create attraction before she can begin to describe it. Honestly, this is the fastest case of insta love I've ever read, and the most bizarre. At least the other authors guilty of insta love try to justify it but Laney's excuse for loving Gabe is because of his . . . erm . . . compassion - or something like that. And Gabe's reason for loving Laney is beacuse of her . . . pink hair, I think.

Anyway, the book got so bad, I couldn't continue. If I'm honest, I didn't make it past chapter 4. I no longer care about finding out what the mysterious "disease" is because if it's like the rest of this book, It'll be boring and unoriginal. Excuse me while I abandon ship. (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sweetwater Books for my copy of Refuge.

I have spent quite a long time trying to think of what to say about Refuge. I liked it. Carole Rummage did not do anything extrodinary, or truly original, but dispite that, Refuge is a good book. I am always nervous going into a book that talks about wolves. I have had irrational fear of the animals since I saw Neverending Story when I was a kid. I never identify when a character is intruiged by them... Like Laney was in this book...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 13, 2012 Book Pusher rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I just finished reading an ARC of this book. This book will be published in November 2012.

Refuge is a sweet story with a lot of potential. I honestly liked the story and enjoyed reading it. The only issue I really had was Gabe's disease and the fact that I figured out at the beginning of the book what was going on, but Laney doesn't figure it out until almost the end. It made me want to shake her a little and be like, okay...how did you not know!?! Okay so enough about the disease.

I lik...more

like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Christina M Condy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley, book-challenge, review-requested

I received this book from the Publisher for my honest review.

This book starts out with a young girl, Laney who lost her entire family in one fell swoop to an auto-accident. She moves in with her aunt and uncle and takes refuge from her life in the animal refuge center. There she meets a young man, Gabe. She is warned against him by her uncle because Gabe has a “disease” which he must go away for a few days each month for treatment. It is very clear to you, the reader, from a very early part what...more I received this book from the Publisher for my honest review.

This book starts out with a young girl, Laney who lost her entire family in one fell swoop to an auto-accident. She moves in with her aunt and uncle and takes refuge from her life in the animal refuge center. There she meets a young man, Gabe. She is warned against him by her uncle because Gabe has a “disease” which he must go away for a few days each month for treatment. It is very clear to you, the reader, from a very early part what his “disease” truly is. But we go through the entire book with blinders on because he never actually tells her what his disease is. There is a bit of a mystery in the book, when a boy gets murdered and Gabe and his brother are suspected. I won’t go into more details of the storyline itself so not to spoil it for readers.

What I will say is the romance between Gabe and Laney is fast, almost instantaneous they are in love. They had only three conversations and they are intensely can’t live without you, nauseatingly in love and all this by page 21. The characters lack a bit of chemistry for me. Some of their responses don’t fit what you expect from them, since they just met and are teenagers I’ll go with the okay I just saw a hot boy and I’m in love. But really, to the point where you can’t do anything but think about him?

The back stories are a bit depressing; first we have Laney who lost her parents and brother while at a gymnastics meet. Then we have her deceased brother who is autistic. Add in Gabe’s “disease” and well one more thing I was about to scream, and then poof there it was in the Aunt and Uncle’s past. *sigh* Every time I think oh gosh it can’t get any worse something else is thrown at me. At times I thought there was just way too much negativity going into this book. I seriously think the Author tried too hard to tug at the heart strings.

I did like the relationship between Laney and her Aunt and Uncle and how it progressed and grew with the story. That I can say is one thing the Author did correctly.
The other good thing is that the Author uses terminology appropriate for the age group she is gearing this book towards. I found it an interesting and quick read and one that I enjoyed perhaps not completely. I do like how the Author added questions at the end of the book for discussions. This is a good feature for schools and book clubs.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a little romance in with a paranormal mystery story. But mostly this is a teen book. Not a ton of draw for adults, but a good quick read for a teenager who has to read for school.
(less)

like · see review

Aug 26, 2012 Debbie Hill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Laney is a gymnast awaiting her scores so she could make it to nationals, thats when her world came crumbling around her as she found out she lost her parents and autistic brother and now had to live with her aunt and uncle. While living there, she met Gabe: the handsome and friendly guy with this mystery disease that no one would inform her about. Being with him, she felt whole, she felt complete. After a death occurs in the town, Gabe and his family take off. Suspicious maybe? Well, thats when...more

like · see review

Oct 29, 2012 Darkfallen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-n-reviewed, netgalley-reviewed

I've been trying desperately over the last few days to get into this and I just can't. You know the saying "It sounded good on paper."? Well this is one of those times. I mean the premise sounds awesome and heartbreak invoking, but unfortunately it just falls flat. The way the story is written it is just two-dimensional and lack luster. It almost reads like a first draft.

Don't get me wrong the story the author is trying to tell is a good one. She just doesn't do a good job at making it pop off...more

like · see review

Nov 08, 2012 Aliaa El-Nashar rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

This book had sounded very vague in the synopsis which really interested me, added to how beautiful the cover was, I decided to request it from NetGalley.

It started off a bit okay, the prologue wasn't one hundred percent plausible, but it gave potential as to how the book would head off from there, how this great event affected this girl's life, losing her family and having to move away. From then on onwards it felt like everything was very rushed and happening faster than it should. She didn't...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Aycock rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love to read for the pure joy of reading. This book did not dissappoint. Makes me want to visit Columbia NC and go see the Lost Colony. Fell in love with Laney and Gabe, but my favorite character is Miakoda. I love her little nuggets of wisdom. Great read!!!

1 like · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Rose rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, netgalley, arc-or-galley, fantasy, romance

This is going to be one of those reviews that proves difficult for me to articulate, but I'm going to give it my best shot in the hopes that it establishes how I consider the work I'm writing about.

I feel a tremendous sense of heaviness when reviewing Carole Rummage's "Refuge", and the reason might surprise some of you. No, it's not because I've had my fill of YA paranormal romances - I'm actually a little more forgiving considering it's a popular genre and I know there are going to be a lot of...more This is going to be one of those reviews that proves difficult for me to articulate, but I'm going to give it my best shot in the hopes that it establishes how I consider the work I'm writing about.

I feel a tremendous sense of heaviness when reviewing Carole Rummage's "Refuge", and the reason might surprise some of you. No, it's not because I've had my fill of YA paranormal romances - I'm actually a little more forgiving considering it's a popular genre and I know there are going to be a lot of writers who may take on similar themes, but attempt to put their own stamp on it. What I usually look for in any genre are those stories that captivate me even if it might follow a common troupe or set of themes. Sure, there might be books that take on a story about a girl falling in love with vampire/werewolf/shapeshifter/insert paranormal character of choice, but the questions that I usually ask are: how well you can pull me into the narrative, how developed are your characters, and how well do you make the world and work your own?

Probably the strongest part of "Refuge" in terms of its intimacy/uniqueness was the attention given to the overarching setting - and I actually liked that part of it. It's set in Columbia, North Carolina - a small town located towards the northeast part of the state, and there are references through the work that make this very much a North Carolina novel - attention given even to the universities like UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State, and Duke, among other elements. And given that the author's from NC, I understood wanting to establish that sense of place, and I commend the work for that because there are some authors who don't even take the time to make sure those details are accurate and have meaning to the context of the overarching story told.

That said, for everything else provided with "Refuge" - it's your run of the mill YA paranormal romance novel, complete with instalove and an overfocus on the romantic inclinations between the characters. I would've rather seen the kind of intimacy noted with the place in this novel applied with the characterization and the overarching story, but alas, that wasn't to be. That's what disappointed me, because with such attention taken to the place, I ask why more wasn't done to make the other elements less...obvious?

The story toggles between the perspectives of Laney, a young woman who has lost her family and goes to live with her aunt and uncle after a horrible accident, and Gabe, an outcast youth branded by his "illness" and questionable history. Laney struggles to adjust to her surroundings and meets Gabe, where both seem to hit it off rather quickly (and might I add a little too quickly for development's sake). The story henceforth tells of (not so much shows) their attraction to each other and conflicts in terms of their relationships. I was fairly underwelmed by the story because it follows many of the same templates of titles in this genre: girl meets boy, they fall in love, girl encounters other boy who vies for affections and girl figures out he's a jerk, boy has questionable past and secret (when the secret's obviously leaning towards the paranormal), something terrible happens and it's blamed on the boy's family, the truth comes out and things work out between girl and boy.

Seriously, it's that straightforward, no derivation whatsoever. I wish I could say that the characters brought something to the table that made it more than that, but they're fairly generic versus ceding to more intimate and unique developments. I never understood why the author chose to keep Gabe's "illness" a secret for so long, and worse yet, have a platform where Gabe was defined by his illness in the eyes of many of the community members. At one point, and this left me fairly incensed - one of the characters - Matthew tells Laney to stay away from Gabe's family because - and this is a direct quote - "For one thing, they're sick. Some nasty disease, maybe HIV. I don't know." And he's an aspiring doctor.

I was fairly incensed with Matthew's character in general, and he's obviously set up to be the "bad guy" in this story, but I didn't like the attributions made to illness in that context. People are not defined by their illnesses and I think more could've been done to knock that idea down, though Laney does recognize in the context of the story that Matthew has a skewed view of illness in general.

I think to wrap this review on an overall note: this story had elements where it could've easily taken itself out of the familiar and become more, but it's fairly cliche and doesn't do much to expand upon its particular genre, and I think that was the story's greatest weakness in the end. I was rather disappointed with it.

Overall score: 1.5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Cedar Fort.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Leigh Statham rated it 5 of 5 stars

A fantastic southern read! Charming characters discover mystery and love in a truly southern setting without the smut that sneaks up on you in other romance reads. Would make a great gift for paranormal romance lovers of any age.

And to those who don't believe in "insta-love" I feel sorry for you. It does exist and it's an amazing thing. Especially if you have the guts to see it through to old age. My husband and I fell in love the day we met and haven't looked back since.

Long live Laney and Ga...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley.

Wow. That's all I had to say after finishing this book.

The beginning was heartbreaking. Laney's parents and her brother died in a car crash while trying to get to her gymnastics meet, so she lives with her uncle and aunt now. She later meets Gabe for the first time when he saves her from a wild bear out at the refuge. They talk and both soon find themselves falling in love. Laney then finds out that he has a disease, but she doesn't care, she...more

like · see review

May 12, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 STARS

I looked at some of the early reviews before I started reading Refuge. I agree with some of them about somethings. Yes I guessed
at somethings that were going to happen. Yes the big mystery part was not really a mystery. But others I totally disagree!
I never saw it billed as a mystery. I would say it is more a romance character YA driven story. I connected with the characters a little too much. I cried in too many places. I like Laney.
she has gone through so much all at once. I like her A...more

like · see review

Nov 24, 2012 Rachael Woohoo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, book, netgalley, review-copy, ebook, reviewed

This review first appeared @ Moosubi Reviews!

Let me start off with a GIF explaining what I apparently looked like when I was reading this book...

Honestly, I would have gave up on this book if it weren't for the challenge I was participating in, and the fact that I received an ARC from the publisher. From the beginning, I could tell that this book would not be for me.

There were little things in the book that I just couldn’t understand. There’s parts in the book where the main character Laney is...more

like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: two-star-reviews

See the full review at Short & Sweet Reviews.

In introducing this book, and all you really need to know about it, allow me to adapt a quote from a great cultural philosopher from the year 2012:

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but I'm in love with you and am already talking seriously about marriage after only a few weeks, so call me, maybe (PS we're still in high school and you have a secret life-changing disease).

Yup. Laney, new in town after a family tragedy, meets Gabe, a sensitive,...more

like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Tien rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, net-galley, romance, paranormal

The gorgeous golden cover was just irresistible that I had to request it off NetGalley. Refuge is straight out YA romance with a touch of the paranormal. There is that instant love moment, the denial & realisation followed by a little trouble in paradise prior to the conclusion. It seems to follow the usual romantic formula with not much else.

I’m romantic enough to tolerate the ‘instant love’ bit but I don’t think the characters put that much effort in denying what they feel, no matter what...more The gorgeous golden cover was just irresistible that I had to request it off NetGalley. Refuge is straight out YA romance with a touch of the paranormal. There is that instant love moment, the denial & realisation followed by a little trouble in paradise prior to the conclusion. It seems to follow the usual romantic formula with not much else.

I’m romantic enough to tolerate the ‘instant love’ bit but I don’t think the characters put that much effort in denying what they feel, no matter what they are actually saying, it felt that they just gave in way too easily. I think it’s great that you can feel a connection with someone at the first meeting and I do believe this kind of thing do happen in real life.

“…When I love everything, I fell apart. But it’s as if our jagged edges somehow fit together and they unbelievably, incredibly, somehow make both of us whole. Two people with so many broken parts, but together we’re better – stronger than we are apart.”

The writing itself I can appreciate. I like the way grief was handled (somehow, the last few books I’ve read got something to do with grief?!?) – it was described so well, I could feel the devastation and my heart was broken for Laney. There really isn’t much else to talk about as there isn’t anything else in this book. There was a potential mystery but that’s all it is, potential.

The paranormal side of things also weren’t explored to its full potential. I know what type of paranormal and a little bit of how things become so but that’s about it. There were no further aspects of the paranormal expounded. I understand this is the first book of a series however it seems either to be very very slow going or only meant to be mostly romance with a very slight touch of the paranormal.

Overall, a tad disappointing and predictable… If you’re looking for a brain-fluff (ie. no thinking required) feel good kind of read, this may fit the bill. Psst, if you're a fan of The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater, you may like this too

Thank you Cedar Fort Inc. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Franci Karou Cat rated it 2 of 5 stars

"The soul would have no rainbows, if the eyes had no tears".

Questa bellissima frase è quanto di meglio ho tratto da questo romanzo. Mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso, sinceramente, di più originale, invece mi sono trovata davanti un romanzo rapido, poco approfondito e con una storia che mi sapeva di già letta e tra l'altro abbastanza scontata.

Qui la mia intera recensione: http://leggendariamente.blogspot.it/2...

like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-book-read, kindle-books

The reviews seem to be all over the place for this one, from 1 stars to 4 stars, I think I even saw a 5 star somewhere.

Honestly, this book was a little predictable for me. I guessed what was going on very early on. There never really was a real mystery to the story and there were a lot of cliches, the girl who lost her family, beautiful, smart, everyone wants her. The handsome aloof boy that has a dark secret.

Still, even with all the cliches this wasn't a terrible read. the writing was okay and...more

like · see review

Nov 09, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-out-2012

This book is totally adorable and full of southern charm!

It is so refreshing to read a romance written for young adults that is actually appropriate for young adults! I just turned it over to my 13 year old to read and I know she will love it. This fact alone caused me to change my rating from four stars to five.

In response to some negative reviews claiming they didn't like the book because of what is referred to as "insta-love"- I know from experience that this kind of attraction and "love at...more

2 likes · like · see review

title link	preview: Refuge
avg rating	preview: Refuge Goodreads rating: 3.17 (64 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14290499-refuge?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344876416l/14290499.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14290499-refuge?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Refuge by Carole Rummage[/url]

Refuge

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Refuge

Refuge

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Refuge

new topic
Discuss This Book