Grasping at Eternity

Kindrily #1

by Karen Amanda Hooper

He has loved her for eternity, but she chose to forget their liftimes of history together. 

The first book in the highly acclaimed Kindrily series. A romantic saga about a supernatural family, reincarnation, and soul mates.

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. Both need to grasp the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Supernatural

328 pages, ebook

First published May 21, 2012

About the author

Author of YA supernatural and fantasy. (Magic and love are the heart and soul of all my stories.)

~TANGLED TIDES & DANGEROUS DEPTHS
~THE KINDRILY series
~VIRTUAL ARCANA series.

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 spoiled rescue bulldog. I'm addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters.

There aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with my Goodreads shelves and lists, but I do occasionally try to add a book if I remember. Feel free to friend me. I love meeting other book lovers and seeing what people are reading!

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will readers of supernatural be drawn to my story even though there are no vampires, werewolves, or merfolk? Only time will tell. I could have followed popular trends and thrown in a blood sucking or howl-at-the-moon moment but that wouldn't be true to who these characters are. So with that in mind, vampires, werewolves, wizards, fairies, leprechauns, even merfolk and selkies watch out! There's a group of extraordinary and complex characters patiently waiting in the shadows, ready to give you magical creatures a run for your money. They're called The Kindrily. And while a full moon is beautiful to look at, it only shines once a month. Some stars shine forever, and my people are all about the stars.

:)

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Every soul is a story shelved away in an infinite library in the sky."



What if I told you there reincarnation is a reality? That our souls are bound to come back at earth through several lifetimes?
Most of souls erase their past, starting the new cycle, with the page blank. But they're others, called Elements, that can remember it all. And some of them started a kind of family,united by the love they share and also the powers they have. Above all, the Elements have soul mates, that go through it all together in each lifetime.

"If you love someone, put their name in a circle; because hearts can be broken, but circles never end."

Nathaniel and Maryah are soul mates. But in the start of this new lifetime, she did the unthinkable and she erased. She doesn't have any recognition of her past, of her Nathaniel.
Almost 18 years later, tragedy hit her life. Now she haves to go live with her guardians, the Luna family. And they will try to make her remember...

This story have SO MUCH ANGST!!!!



Nathan just broke my heart!! The pain he was constantly feeling because she didn't remembered him. She choose to not remember him!

That was the soul-shattering issue. I saw nothing inside of her. No flicker of the depthless light in her eyes, no trace of the soul I had loved for centuries. She had let go of our eternity, and I couldn't stop grasping onto the memory of who she used to be.

In the other hand we have Maryah, trying to adjust to her new life and being clueless. Seriously, she have to be the most CLUELESS and OBLIVIOUS character I ever read!!!!



No I'm not!! Even Carson, Nathan's brother joked around, if she would notice if a meteor hit the house...several times. And she remained clueless.
And that just pissed me off!!! I just wanted to scream WAKE UP or just slap her a bit.

The side characters were really interesting, specially all the elements (I love Carson!!) and their cool powers. Which made me also think of all the powers, which one I would like to have! Let's just say, I do have pretty awesome ones to choose from.

The plot was interesting but still have MANY answers to be revealed!

I'm way to CURIOUS to know why the hell she erased!!!!


3.5 stars

For this one and more reviews go to:
A Bookworm Confessions

**egalley kindly provided via netgalley in exchange of a honest review **

[Hersh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When it's dark enough, you can see the stars."


What I felt after I read this book:
1)Wow!
2)I love this book!
3)This book took my breath away!
4)I will love it forever.
Conclusion: It's so beautiful.

I would give this book an infinite amount of stars. I would give it all the stars in the universe.

"If you love someone, put their name in a circle; because hearts can be broken, but circles never end."
I was squealing with delight till the very end of this book. This story was completely different from all the other books I read.

"That's what stories are for - to learn something."
Every chapter spun a web of intricacy, intensity and love. I got sucked into this book and I realized while reading it that I was drowning in this sweet world where the words from this book were my oxygen.

This book was amazing in every way. It had everything that would grasp its readers till the very end. Every character in this book was a symphony and all their symphonies combined made this book a lovely, beautiful song.

I knew this book was something. The very first line whispered in my ear that I would love this book irrespective of how it proceeds. And yes, I did love it.
Grasping at Eternity grasped me till the very end.

"The stars are waiting for you."

[David Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just finished this novel, and I must say, I was blown away. The writing was really good, the characters were well-developed and had distinct voices--but most of all I loved the bits of backstory that were expertly woven in and the huge POTENTIAL for way more backstory. This series has so many directions it can go, I can't wait to see where the author takes it!

I'd probably give it 4.5 stars but I gotta give Ms. Hooper the Indie Bump to round to 5 as I know from experience how challenging it is for an Indie author to write a book this good.

I only took the half star off because I found Maryah a little annoying at times (although at other times she made me laugh out loud so it sort of balanced out a little bit) and the action scenes could have been made a bit more suspenseful. But I'm really nitpicking at this point. The author really set the bar high for the rest of the series and there's a good reason why this book has so many 5 star reviews!! Well done Karen!!

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

FREEBIE - > http://amzn.to/1u72oHb

4 Stars



When it comes to fantasy reads, I’m a tough cookie. There has be the right combination of nice writing style, character development and whimsical story telling that makes it a good read for me. I wanted to read Grasping at Eternity for a few reason, 1.) the rave reviews 2.) the cover (I know I shake my head in shame) 3.) book 2, Taking Back Forever comes out at the end of the month.

This is my first Karen Amanda Hooper novel and I have to say, I’m impressed and very satisfied.

On with the review…

[Summary]

Maryah’s parents and brother are attacked and murdered. Maryah was saved by Nathan, who she doesn’t know is her soul-mate. With no family to go to, Maryah lives with her God parents, who happens to be Nathan’s parents. Nathan desperately wants Maryah to remember her past and their relationship, but is becoming restless. Maryah continues to have odd dreams and tries to make sense of them on top of dealing with Nathan’s hot and cold personality.

[Review]

A lot goes in on this read, like many reviewers, I was confused at times, mostly towards the beginning. At one point I had to re-check that I was reading book 1 of the series. But once I got into the story, everything sort of just fell into place. I would describe Grasping at Eternity a mixture between Fallen and Twilight. If you liked the story line of Fallen, but also loved the quirky family-vibe of Twilight then this book is for you.

[Maryah]

I’m pretty much up and down with Maryah. I really liked her throughout the book. I thought she was the typical teenager reacting perfectly towards the recent death of her family. She was a bit upsetting towards the middle-end (when we get to the climatic-ending), BUT that didn’t last long and thank goodness because I would have dropped my rating.

[Nathan]

I liked Nathan. I know call me crazy, especially about that one scene. Two words, hot-air balloon! BUT, Nathan is great. He’s kind of like this tormented soul and when you hear his story you just think to yourself, damn, good thing I am not you. You really did feel his pain, especially with the dream scenes.

[Overall]

There is a slight love triangle in the book, which does add some nice tension, however at times I wanted to slap Maryah for some of her actions. I also wanted Nathan to interact with Maryah a bit more, I think they didn’t really “meet” until 30% into the book.

The story is very descriptive, was a bit long and a little too detailed for some parts. I thought the overall resolution should have been presented during the middle and another issue should have been brought up for the ending.

Overall, I LOVED the fact that EVERYTHING was stated. I mean, there was really no guessing what the main issue was. We have Maryah who erased her memories and then love sick Nathan was dealing with it. Because it’s a fantasy read, I did enjoy the whole “powers of element”, explanation of “Kinderly” and the additional supporting characters. I have a soft spot for Carson.

I thought the cover and conclusion was solid and left me with a warm bubbly feeling. I recommend this read and look forward to Taking Back Forever

For more reviews, visit http://www.jacquelinesreads.blogspot....

A copy was kindly provided to me by All Night Reads via NetGalley for an honest review

[Brooke's Epic Emporium · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author, Karen Amanda Hooper, in turn for an honest review.
This was truly a totally different story than I have ever read before. At first, I was very confused, I have to say. But once the story really started to unfold, it was like a roller coaster. It completely took me on a ride that was scary, exhilarating and joyous. I really enjoyed that the book was written from two different points of view. It was nice to see the contrast between the male and female characters and how they interpreted situation so differently. This book tugged a my heart strings so much. I was laughing, crying, frustrated, annoyed, happy, sad, and all of the above at once!
Maryah is the main female character. She has had her memories erased. This would not be such an issue, if it weren't memories from all her past life times. She doesn't remember who she was, who she loved, who was part of her family. She only remembers this life. When her parents and brother are murdered, she moves from Maryland to Sedona, Arizona to live with her G-dmother and her G-dmother's family, all of who remember her from past lives. They are her Kindrily. This is the story of how she slowly comes to remember her past and our introduction to those who want to destroy all those like her. I have to say that Maryah was an interesting character. There were so many times in the book I wanted to grab her and just smack her around. She was totally and completely clueless as to things that are going on around her. And several of the characters blatantly point this out to her, yet she still does not get it. And then there were the times when she just knew something was different with her "family" and didn't bother to say anything to any of them! I have to say that it got a bit frustrating.
Nathaniel's character was perfect. You could see that he was wise well beyond his teenage years, due to having come from the last life with all his memories. His range of emotions from Maryah not remembering him are all over the place. He is happy to see her, but is worried that she will not ever remember who he is. He has great love for her, but is frustrated that he cannot show her how he feels because she does not remember him. He is convinced that there has to be a way for Maryah to remember her past.
There are a lot of ancillary characters in this book. It took me a while to be able to sort them out. At first it was a bit frustrating. I couldn't keep them all straight. There are so may members of the Kinderly. By half way through the book, I was able to really pull together who was who and it made it easier to read and also much more interesting.
I loved all the different powers the characters had: freezing time, influencing people's thoughts, reading minds, teleporting, seeing people's auras. It was so different than anything I had ever seen before. And Hooper's writing is really perfect. The words flowed well and the explanations were perfect. I could truly see the places that were described, in vivid detail.
Of course events unfurl during the book that help Maryah to start remembering her past. First are the dreams that she has about Nathaniel. But they are not dreams at all, they are her aesterally traversing (having out of body experiences). But she does not tell anyone about these dreams, so they never know that she is actually using her powers that she had before her memories were erased.
One thing I loved about the end of this book is that you really don't have to move on to the next one if you don't want to. It really read as a great stand alone. However, I am happy there will be another installment and will certainly be reading it when it comes out.
Thank you so much, Karen, for the opportunity to read your wonderful book.
A solid 4/5 stars!

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh WOW! This book had my head spinning in all the right ways. From the moment I started reading, the story captivated me instantly, and I have to say that Karen Amanda Hooper has written a book which brilliantly ensnares your heart and tugs at your soul. It has me mesmerised and enamoured, and I found myself at the edge of me seat for quite a few moments.

The story is very unique and highly original and I have to say I don't think I have read anything like this yet. The story centres around Maryah and Nathaniel. They are soulmates and belong to a family that call themselves Kindrily. Now what makes them special is that they are Elements. Which means that they possess unique powers that they wield by the five elements, Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Athirra (forgive me I think that's how it's spelt). Also, when they die they choose to come back to the world without erasing their memory of the life they once had. So they are eternally connected to one another and come back to each other always. And no matter what the soulmates are forever bonded through their love and memories. Ok, do you follow me. There are so many layers to this story that I thought it would be fair to try and explain them a little but to be honest, you really won't understand any of it until you read the story because there is so much more going on than just this. I mean I was stumped a few times so I could totally relate to Maryah.

Now, back to the story. So remember I said that these Elements, once they die, choose to be reincarnated without erasing their memories. Well, what if one half of the soulmates did just that? You would get the predicament that Maryah finds herself in. One moment she is sharing a moment with her parents and twin brother and the next moment she finds her family brutally murdered in front of her and she is fighting for her life in a hospital bed. All the while willing the beautiful stranger, who visits her dreams, to end her suffering, so she can be with her family, wherever they are. What she doesn't know, or in fact remember is, that this stranger is Nathaniel, her soulmate for centuries. Her one and only, her true love and kindred. For eighteen years Nathaniel has held onto the hope that he would find Maryah and hope that she would remember him, but in fact she knows of nothing of who they are or their past lives together. This breaks his heart repeatedly and I genuinely feel utterly sorry and frustrated for him. I literally felt like jumping into the book and shaking her to wake up out of her stupor and remember how much he loved her and was in love with her. I mean, I completely understand the way she is and why she was in such a big funk but I so wanted to tear my hair out.

But the best part of the story is the undying love and faith that Nathaniel and the rest of the family have in Maryah, regardless of her state of mind and being. They never lost hope that she would find her way back to them, although at times you could clearly see how much pain and suffering Nathaniel was in, there was always they small flicker of light. It was beautiful. Well, now on that I think I shall end this review, but not without saying that if you like to read a book that will pull at your heart strings and keep you anticipating and guessing, then this book is for you.

[summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly, I didn't set my expectations very high as I began this novel. I wasn't expecting a book as unique,

as magical,

as romantic as this.

Karen Amanda Hooper manages to make the romance lovely and enchanting while not crossing the fine line of cheesiness.

Maryah and Nathan are supposed to be soul mates, throughout their different lives, but this life is different.

She can't remember him. She erased, for reasons unknown to everyone.

The story starts, and I was hooked. I'd rather not say what happened in that first scene, as that would be a major spoiler.

Maryah and Nathan are an adorable couple. She didn't remember him until the end, but their love was palpable through Nathan's POV. I usually am not a huge fan of romances, but Grasping at Eternity makes the love story one I want to read about.

Sometimes Nathaniel's actions were kind of stupid, and I didn't agree with them, but he was still lovable. I mean, he's only human, right? Wait, technically he isn't, but you get the point.

This novel of reincarnation makes the topic so intriguing that I couldn't help but read on. There wasn't any info-dumping, and the gradual revelations gave the story a very natural flow that was easy to follow. Since this a fairly new topic to the YA genre, it is vital for us to understand reincarnation, and while the author didn't answer every question, I wasn't dying of confusion by the end of the novel.

My only complaint is that it is a bit hard to keep track of all the Kindrily, and I wish the author put more effort into developing more to make them easier to distinguish between.

Minus Carson. He stood out easily, and he's mine.

For all you romantics out there, this is the novel for you. Heck, even if you don't like romance, Grasping at Eternity will probably convert you. Like it did for me.

[Jess at Such a Novel Idea · Rating 4 out of 5]

*UPDATE*
It's funny after reading this the second time, all the issues I seemed to have with the book the first time around have gone away. I was just completely smitten the entire time, and wanted to hug all the characters. SO much love for this series!




For more information, visit my blog, Such A Novel Idea.
http://suchanovelidea.com

Why You Should Buy It

This book has a bit of everything: tragedy, romance, paranormal, mythology, fantasy, action, and mystery. The beautiful world of reincarnation that Karen Amanda Hooper builds in this book is something special.

My Thoughts

*I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of NetGalley*

I am a sucker for reincarnated love stories. I never read one until Incarnate, but I connected with the story line, and have found myself seeking out more like it. So, when I had the chance to review this book, I was nothing short of thrilled.

And I have to admit, at first this book let me down. I found myself rolling my eyes and trying to keep up with what was going on. But very quickly, I got sucked in. And by the end I was smiling and hugging my Kindle close, wishing I could read book two right away. I love stories like that!

There are some technical issues with the beginning of the book — things seem forced and rushed, but it is something that ultimately vanishes. Another thing is there are a LOT of characters to keep up with, some that come and go so fast you almost wonder what their true purpose was to the heart of the story. One redeeming quality is that the shift in POV allows you to get the back story at a smooth pace, rather than all at once as Maryah does.

But, the story that Hooper creates is unique — while many elements can be found in other books and genres, this one sets itself a part. And it is definitely a different situation than the typical ‘boy is madly in love with the girl’ scenario we see in so many other series, because obviously he has a REASON to be in love with her.

With a fast-past thrill, this book will leave you wanting more.

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

[Mai is a Happy Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soulmates. with Superpowers.
Yeah, this is what this book is all about. And I love it!!



The first chapters are dedicated to Maryah Woodsen's POV. (They alternate with Nathan's PoV.) She talked about the night her whole family was murdered by creepy men and how she survived. There are parts wherein she appeared confused and gloomy. I mean, she's quite irrational and stubborn. And VERY frustrating! She doesn't even bother to notice the starngeness surrounding her. It's like everything is on shut down mode.

Then, she will stay with her mother's best friend and her godmother, Louise Luna after losing her family. And that's where all the confusion will start. I think that the Luna family is wonderful. They are very caring and hospitable to Maryah. I like Louise's character, even grumpy Carson.
But, what made me like this book even more is Nathaniel.

Oh my gosh.. Nathaniel. You are the epitome of all mankind. I love how he is so patient and loyal to his soulmate! And he's good looking too.
Too bad, Maryah thought he is the angel of death. A hot angel of death.
The efforts he do for Maryah are so sweet! Even if she thinks Nathan is a total psycho.



Okay. Enough of the gushing and let's talk about the superhero stuff. Souls that reincarnate and have the power to erase or retain their memories is uber cool. They are called Elements . Souls who have add-ons like traversing, time freezing, super speed and astral projection. I mean, HOW COOL IS THAT?? I would definitely want to be a part of the Lunas!

The real disappoint on this one is the part wherein Maryah/Mary remembered Nathan. but nothing else. .

The real mystery is why Maryah/Mary decided to erase her memory. Why did she chose not to retain everything associated with her being? What is she trying to protect? And what does the creepy men want from her?

Oooh. I love how the first book ended. It's such a cute cliffhanger. I have a lot of loving emotions on Grasping Eternity!

Perfect 5 swooning stars!!

[Seirra · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I started reading Grasping at Eternity I could immediately tell I was in for something AMAZING . The descriptive details and style of writing were incredible. I felt like I was part of the plot. Each character was compelling in there own way and even more complex than they appeared. It was like unraveling a mystery within a mystery, you dream of books that give you such delight. I sincerely LOVED IT . The story was soo beautiful and heartbreaking at times but nonetheless immersed you into feeling so deeply for the story and the characters. I love the idea of reincarnation especially the idea of souls always reincarnating together and in each life playing a different familial role be it family, lover, or friend. It's a lovely and enchanting belief/concept. I also loved that each individual of a Kindrily had a special gift or gifts of there own. I feel that added an extra layer to an already delicious cake. I couldn't be more thrilled when I received this ebook from the author Karen Amanda Hooper to review honestly, this was truly a RARE GEM . This book deserves to be recognized for its creative writing skills and diversity. It's not often that a book with a beautiful cover delivers an amazing story as well. I never expected to be wowed but this book was ABSOLUTELY CAPTIVATING . I'm really excited for the second book in this series and will be eagerly awaiting its release in 2013.

SYNOPSIS:

Maryah Woodsen is an ordinary seventeen year old - or so she thought. One night Maryah and her family are brutally attacked, leaving her parents and twin brother both dead and her just barely alive. After Maryah recovers she's left with an empty feeling inside. Forced to pick up the pieces of her shattered soul she is sent to live with her godmother and her family who she only met when she was barely a toddler. While living there strange occurrences keep happening, and to top that off she keeps dreaming of a man with gorgeous green eyes - a man she believes to be an angel of death. Also her adoptive family members aren't all as welcoming - some seem almost resentful towards her but who are they to judge her when they barely know her - or so she thinks.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful love story! I have been up all night finishing it, and it is now 5 am! That is how crazy I am! And how much I loved this book!

Maryah is a young woman that starts out with her twin brother and parents getting murdered. Of course she is heart broken and depressed, but she decides to go live with her godmother. Here is where she finally meets Nathaniel and the story gets so good. This story is about soulmates, which actually made me frustrated with Nathan half of the book. He just has so much love, but I think he could've showed it with more passion a few times instead of staying away.

There are all lot of great family and friends in this book, like Faith with her uber-cheerfulness, and Carson that was a great protector. And then there was River that just seemed creepy the whole way through. I can not wait for the sequel to reveal some of the secrets that are still unvealed and to get more of this romance underway. I recommend this book to everyone!!

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 Forever Soul Mate stars
(Deducted half a star for the heroine's facepalm moments....she was otherwise a great read.)




From page 1, the book starts out action packed. Maryah is home with her parents and brother when intruders attack and her family is murdered. She is caught and brutally attacked as well and as she is laying there waiting for death to claim her, she has some very odd visions.
A green-eyed, heavenly "angel"
Faces blurred.
Colors Faded.
Lost in eternity.
Quiet.
Stillness.
Peace...
Agonizing pain.
Stars pulsating.

Please remember, the brightest star whispered.

The basic premise of the story: Life is a never ending cycle. What most would call re-incarnation. We return infinitely in different bodies with the same soul. When we experience deja vu, those are actually memories from one of our past lives trying to surface. Every soul is given a choice to "retain or erase". You can retain your memories into your next life, or erase them completely....some gifted souls called "Elements" can decide the details of their return and have special elemental powers (earth, fire, water, air). Elements are all part of a "kindrily" or a soul family. One person who was your mother in one life could be your sister in another life. You are always surrounded by these people in one form or another. They each have their own star in the sky that remains through their lifetimes.

"Every soul is a story shelved away in an infinite library in the sky."

If you erase your memories, in your next life you are forever cut off from all the memories of your
soul mate/kindrily, you lose your special abilities, and your star in the night sky will be extinguished.

For some unknown reason, we find out that Maryah is one of these Elements who has decided to "erase" and she is connected to her godmother, all her friends and family, and most especially Nathanial who is her true soul mate. He has been checking on her periodically throughout her life but keeping his distance. He is consumed with pain that everything they shared, all the love, laughter, and joy through their lives is gone forever and the light that once shone in her eyes is now extinguished.
He is tethered to her though and cannot bring himself to abandon her or stay away. He hopes and prays that even the smallest glimmer would return in her eyes-some sign that she could return to her former self but his hope is quickly dwindling.
I saw nothing inside of her. No flicker of the depthless light in her eyes, no trace of the soul I had loved for centuries. She had let go of our eternity, and I couldn't stop grasping onto the memory of who she used to be.


When they meet, all he ever seems to do is push her away. Meanwhile, strange things are happening all around her. This is where all the facepalm moments occur. She has all these people surrounding her with supernatural abilities who are saving her inexplicably. She dreams almost nightly where she sees Nathaniel and others saying and doing things that she finds out really happened. Her classmate River is spending time with her, falling for her and she doesn't see any sign of him seeing her as anything other than a friend. Yet, she is totally, completely, 100% clueless that anything out of the ordinary is happening. Nathaniel could have a flashing neon sign on his forehead reading, "I am your soulmate." and she would still be dazed and confused. (Aargh!)

Despite this, I loved the story overall. There was so much more to the story but you really have to read it to get the full effect. There is a lot of information that is withheld. Why did she choose to erase? What were/are her special powers?
Will she EVER FREAKING REMEMBER ANYTHING?
...regain any of her memories? Who are the people who killed her family and what are they plotting?

It truly had an intricate plot you can really sink your mind into regarding the facets and possibilities of love, death, destiny, and kindred spirits.

Angst factor: NOT overkill, just enough.

The supporting cast of characters were very well thought out and interesting in their own rights.(And there were quite a few of them)
And it had a fascinating love story that really captured my interest. Nathaniel just broke my heart at how much he had to endure being around Maryah and not being able to be with her and be connected to her the way he needed to be. It was like his other half was ripped away from him and withheld from him in plain sight and there was nothing he could do about it. He wants to give up so many times and break away from her and the pain she unknowingly causes but the love they shared through the years won't allow him to do that. You see the sheer devotion and unyielding support and it was such a beautiful thing.

"If you love someone, put their name in a circle; because heart can be broken, but circles never end."~Anonymous

[Sarah Rooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say I was shell-shocked that I won a GoodReads giveaway would be a gross understatement. I was beginning to think it was impossible to accomplish, as I had entered countless of them to no avail. Lo and behold, an e-mail popped up in my inbox a few weeks ago deconstructing any suspicions I had accumulated. I had won a First Reads giveaway.

I walked on clouds for the rest of that day.

Flash forward, about two weeks later, and a package waits for me calmly at home. My fingers were tearing at the material surrounding the book with a certain ferocity before I could even guess at what waited inside: Grasping at Eternity-- in all of its gorgeous cover glory, complete with a sealed envelop tucked within a random page.

I'll take this moment to give a huge shout out to Karen Amanda Hooper, (and her fabulously named dog, Rooney), for taking the time to write me a lovely message bound in an equally lovely envelope. I'm not sure she'll ever see this review, but I wanted to give a shout out anyway to show my appreciation.

Anyway, on to the point at hand. Grasping at Eternity.

This book definitely surprised me. Oddly enough, it surprised me by not surprising me. I got exactly what I wanted from it. All too often lately I've had totally wrong notions about what a book may be about. It was a nice breath of fresh air to read something that delivered in every area that I had hoped it would.

Reading the synopsis, one may immediately notice that the central topic of the novel is reincarnation. The whole idea caught my attention from the beginning; there aren't many young adult novels about life cycles around these days. I hoped going in that it would set a high bar for a concept I had yet to dabble in, and set a high bar it did. Due to the shifting perspectives of Maryah, pronounced like Mariah, and Nathan, the reader is allowed insight into the idea of reincarnation almost immediately. At times it was mildly frustrating knowing so much more than Maryah, but at the same time it's easy to understand why she's kept in the dark for so long. If someone were to tell me I've lived 20 other lives, I'd run for the hills at full speed.

On the topic of changing perspectives, I will say that Nathan's point of view was kind of... iffy-- but only at first. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but his voice read more like a female than a male. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't seeing things through Maryah's eyes. After getting comfortable with the fact that he was lifetimes old, though, I started to understand why he sounded so different: he didn't sound like a typical teenage boy because he wasn't a typical teenage boy. Far from it, actually. I won't spoil anything more, but I will say that his intense love for Maryah also contributed to the way his voice was conveyed, and after a while it began to feel more natural.

This sort of leads into my next point: the way Hooper delivers the romance. While I admit that I wish I was given a little more time to get to know Nathan, I understand the reasons he kept his distance. I also realized that, in many ways, seeing less of a romantic interest is better than having them shoved down your throat during every scene. I think the main reason it bothered me at all was because by the time they "got together," it felt kind of rushed and weird. I understand that they were by no means strangers to each other, but as a bystander that witnessed only the events of the novel, it felt as though all of a sudden these strangers had fallen madly in love. It isn't insta-love, but we're never given a build up, either.

Lack of romantic build up aside, it's crucial that I point out how lovely Hooper's writing is. Her descriptions creep off the page, slowly inching their way up into your mind. Everything is vivid and everything is beautiful. That's the simplest and best way I can describe it. You'll just have to read it for yourself to understand, but it's pretty incredible.

I'm just about done with my ranting session now.

I really hope that this gains more notice within the Young Adult/New Adult crowd. I was shocked to find that this fantastic book had only 209 ratings on GoodReads. What does that mean? It means go buy Grasping for Eternity. It's a wonderfully crafted novel that embraces a new phenomenon that is sure to keep your pages turning.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh.

"Grasping at Eternity" has a 4.22 average rating on GR right now. Keep that in mind. Maybe my annoyance with this book is just my personal taste and everyone else will love it. That being said, this book didn't work for me.

I read a LOT of YA paranormal romance. For a book in this category to really impress me now, it has to bring something very special to the table. Truthfully, I was excited when I read the blurb for this book. The concept of reincarnation and erasing one's memory was pretty fascinating to me, and I was pumped to see where the author was going to take this story.

The book actually starts out pretty well. Maryah is attacked at her family's home in Maryland, and in that attack her parents and brother are killed, leaving her homeless and an orphan. Devastated, Maryah goes to live with her god family in Sedona, whom she has never met. She is taken aback at the way her god family interact with her, as if they have known her forever. She especially does not know what to make of her uber-intense god-brother Nathan, who she swears is the same guy that has been haunting her dreams.

The book really started to fall apart for me in Arizona. I hated how the god family in Arizona (there are so many of them it was hard to keep track) kept not so subtly hinted that they all knew her from past lives. It was like a constant "wink wink" thing between everyone and Maryah had to be the densest person alive not to get all of the clues. The author also kept re-emphasizing the same concepts over and over again to the reader. Okay, I get it. They are all re-incarnated and soul mates- ENOUGH. It irked me to no end. Strangely, even though the author kept bringing up the same points, I felt like the world-building was sloppy and not convincing. It bored me and the book draaaggggeeedd. To top it off, Maryah was one of those dreaded teenage whiny heroines. I wanted to stop reading every time she spoke.

The blurb compares this book to X-men. I didn't see that at all. Because the characters in this book had superpowers like sight and speed? Powers do not an X-man make, I'm afraid. This book doesn't hold a candle to X-men. If you want a book that is X-men-like done right read The Holders.

Honestly, I started skimming at the end. I just wanted it to end so I could move onto the next. This book gets two stars because I like the general concept, but that is me being generous. Now that I'm thinking about it, this book reminds me of my reaction to Providence that everyone else loved. ::Shrugs::

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Source: I won a digital copy of this book, which I told the author I would review. Thanks to author Karen Amanda Hooper.)
17-year-old Maryah is horrified when armed thugs break into her parent’s home, kill both of her parents and her brother, and put her in a coma.
Struggling to come to terms with what has happened, Maryah goes to live with her Godmother Louise in Sedona, to finish recuperating from her injuries, and to maybe move there permanently as was her mother’s wish.

Although she can’t ever remember meeting Louise, the whole family acts as if they have known her all her life, and when Louise’s son turns out to be the gorgeous boy that she has dreamed about since her coma, Maryah is even more puzzled.

What Maryah doesn’t know is that she is an element. A soul who is reborn after death, and that Nathan – the boy she has been dreaming about, is her soul mate. For some reason, the last time Maryah was reincarnated, she chose to erase her memories, which means she has no memory of Nathan or her previous lives at all.
Can Maryah ever remember her past? Can she remember Nathan? And why did she choose to erase?


An enjoyable YA love story about reincarnation.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked Maryah, and I liked Nathan, and I was hoping all the way through that Maryah would remember and they could be back together. I liked the whole soul-mates thing, and I liked how Nathan held himself back, even though he had been missing her for years.
Maryah did have moments where she should probably have asked what people meant when people said things that hinted at the whole reincarnation thing, but she was still grieving so I’ll let her off. I did like the way that Nathan seemed a lot more mature than 18 though, which obviously fitted in well with the rest of the story.
The other characters were all very real and likeable, and it really did seem like Maryah had a good support system in her Kindrily.

I liked the storyline in this book, and I liked the ‘will she, won’t she?’ regarding Maryah’s memory loss. I was surprised that we didn’t find out why Maryah erased, but maybe that will be covered in the next book. I liked the little twists in that story, and I thought that the whole thing came off as really believable, which is difficult when you’re talking about reincarnation! I did like the little surprise at the end, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book.
Overall; an entertaining and believable YA romance about reincarnation.
7.5 out of 10.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily) After the brutal murder of her family 17 year old Maryah moves to Sedona to live with her god parents who hide a secret - they are perpetually reincarnated souls with supernatural gifts who have chosen to live all of their lives together. Maryah unaware of the fact that she has known them all for hundreds of years as in her previous life she did the unimaginable, she chose to forget everything.
 
For her soul mate Nathan there is nothing more painful than looking at the person you love and knowing that they cannot remember you as they willingly gave up their memories. Despite the pain Nathan must hold it together so he can protect Maryah and the rest of his kindrily and if he’s lucky Maryah might regain her memories. After all, love always perseveres, or does it?
 
Grasping at Eternity is a beautiful book about the power of love and family. Rather than sticking to pre-made supernatural creatures, Karen has made her own, the Kindrily, reincarnated souls who have the power to remember previous lives and to choose where they end up in their future lives. Hooper has a beautiful and flowing writing style that when mixed with her vivid characters and engaging plot draws you deep into the world of the Kindrily.
 
Grasping at Eternity is a refreshing change from the overdone storylines about vampires and werewolves that generally dominate this genre. Karen Amanda Hooper is definitely an author to look out for as her original plots and believable characters make all her books that of a five star standard.
 
Reviewed for readers favourite.

[Caru · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book**

Actual Rating: 3.8 stars


My Opinion Of This Book: I liked it and would recommend it!

____________________________________________________________

Liked:
-Carson
-Dylan & Amber
-River
-Nathan
-The Writing
-The Plot/Storyline

Disliked:
-Maryah

The Characters

Maryah
Maryah is the main character. I didn't like her. At all. She's so very clueless. I'm pretty positive she's the most clueless MC ever.

Carson’s mad-at-the-world look resurfaced. “She’s not my favorite person.”
I was beginning to think he didn’t like anyone. “Why don’t you like her?”
“She’s selfish. She’s caused Nathan a lot of pain."

^^ Yeah, Carson sums up my thoughts on Maryah pretty well.

Nathan
Oh, I love Nathan! He's so sweet and caring! I feel bad for him because of all the pain Maryah caused him. :'(

River

"My band , The Rebel Junkies, we’re playing here tonight."

In a band? Check. Hilarious? Check. Total hot bad-boy? Check and check!
I couldn't help but fall for River. Yes, I know- I just couldn't help it. I'm a total sucker for bad boys. ;) And yeah, I still like him after all that, even though I probably shouldn't.

He took the pad from Mr. Milton’s hand, tore off the top sheet, and scribbled on it. “I do love a good trip. I’ll sign my own ticket.” He made a kissing noise at the teacher, and some of the class laughed while he strutted down the aisle to my desk. He whispered, “I’m gonna write a song about you."

Dylan & Amber
I love Dylan & Amber! They're great side characters and they're really fun!

Carson

Carson said, “but I’m the only Scion in this kindrily.”
Dakota rolled his eyes. “Don’t get cocky, Car.”
“Stay out of it, epic-wannabe. You’re just jealous that I have three abilities and you have none.” He shoved Dakota.

I flippin' love, LOVE, LOVE Carson!!
I mean..
-He's hilarious
-He makes fun of Maryah -that is, like, the most amazing thing to do! ;)
-He's fun and playful
-He's very charming
-He's got three abilities
-He's young
-He doesn't have a soul mate (Please tell me that means he can be mine *crosses fingers for luck* xD)
-He's awesome, incredible, amazing, fantastic, and -did I mention that he's awesome?!

Yeah, sorry for the rambling...but I kinda had to do it xD Oh, and....
-Me and Carson have the same nickname (Car) -YAY!!Isn't that AMAZING?! :D

Yes, as you can tell, Carson is my favorite character, and I'm like beyond in love with him. ;) Oh, one last thing: I'm hoping there's more Carson in the next book -*crosses fingers and toes* :)

The Writing
The writing is descriptive and vivid - to put it simply, I loved it and wish I could write like that! Also, I loved that this book was split in dual POVs - that of Maryah's and Nathan's. Very well done there!

The Plot/Storyline

Elements? Kindrily? Soul Mates/Twin Flames? Supernatural Gifts?!

Oh, heck yes!! I totally loved the concept of this book!! It's original and unique - I've never read anything like it!

Elements are born in pairs - soul mates or twin flames. And they have different awesome supernatural abilities! Nothing could be more amazing!!

This book started off amazingly with action and then kept the pace going good throughout the whole book!

The Ending
Ahh, I'm not sure how I feel...
Why did Maryah erase?!??? We still don't know

Overall
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it, not like 'read this NOW!' but 'read this sometime! Whenever. '

[Nickle Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

[July 20]

First of all, I would like to thank Karen Amanda Hooper for providing me an epub copy of Grasping at Eternity. I just finished reading this lovely novel. I'll write a decent review after I've gathered my thoughts and emotions. Karen, you are one awesome person. Thank you for introducing me to Nathan and Maryah and the rest of their Kindrily. <3

--------------------------------------

[Aug 6]

The first time I read the synopsis of Grasping at Eternity, I was instantly intrigued with the plot. If you had the option to erase or retain your memory, what would you choose? This particularly reminded me of a Doctor Who episode, if I'm not mistaken it was in Season 5 Episode 2, where Amy Pond learned about something she thought was so horrible that she opted to delete the memory of what she just saw. In Maryah's case, she didn't just erase a memory of something that happened a few minutes or hours or days or weeks earlier, but she erased all memory from her past lives.

Before I read this, I already had an idea what it's about, so when certain characters were introduced, I already knew who they were in Maryah's life. The big secret is why she chose to erase and why is she being hunted.

The story is told in Maryah's fist-person point of view. It focuses on her life as she tries to cope with a great loss and dealing with her weird adoptive family. She doesn't remember anything from her past lives so she has no idea why these people act like they've known her forever. Aside from her, the story is also told Nathan's first-person point of view, where he's constantly thinking about Maryah's safety and well-being. He's heartbroken but he's still hopeful that the love of his life would return to him somehow, even when it is believed to be impossible.

I love all the characters! I would find myself smiling as I read and I wished I was part of their Kindrily...or even just their world. This is really a wonderful concept and it's a refreshing change from the usual YA novels. Though there were certain concerns that crossed my mind as I was reading, in regards with the process of being an Elemental or being part of the family of any one who was reincarnated. I guess that part is a broad topic to elaborate, maybe we'll get some more info about that in the next book.

I do not know if it's just me but I think the story is predictable, I already hava an idea who the mystery villain is, the one Nathan recognized, and I knew about the seer and the baby too. The more I am intrigued with what happened in their last life, the one before Maryah erased her memory.

If you were an Elemental, what powers would you want to have? It's so hard to choose but I think I'd want Nathan's powers. I can go wherever I want and not worry about transportation or being late. As long as can save time by traversing, I wouldn't need to stop time to accomplish more things. Although that power has its own perks.

I gave this book a rating of 4 because I really, really enjoyed reading it and I am super intrigued as to why Maryah opted to delete her memory, why she chose to forget about her soulmate.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review:

“If you love someone, put their name in a circle; because hearts can be broken, but circles never end.” -Anonymous

Maryah and Michael had the perfect family; a mom and dad who were madly in love, both with them and each other. Everything is as it should be until one night, tragedy strikes and Maryah not only lives through it, but thanks to her gift of memory, she remembers it all…especially him.

“No, death is a gorgeous movie-star angel man that rides a motorcycle and sat beside you at the hospital.”

Maryah doesn’t know why and honestly thinks she’s gone a little crazy when she moves to Sedona to live with her godmother, Louise, and family. Everyone acts as though they’ve known her forever, claiming her as family; talking about people Maryah has never even met…and Nathanial. Nathanial is Louise’s son and in this lifetime (same as every life before) he’s Maryah’s soul mate, her twin flame. Of course she doesn’t know that. Having not even met him yet, she’s dreamt of him many times. It’s not until a trip to Colorado when she comes face to face with her angel of death; the feelings are so overwhelming she passes out. But remember him, them together, she does not. Maryah has erased; she chose at the end of her last life to forget. She’s a clean slate and Nathanial is devastated.

“That was a soul-shattering issue. I saw nothing inside her. No flicker of the depthless light in her eyes, no trace of the soul I had loved for centuries. She had let go of our eternity, and I couldn’t stop grasping onto the memory of who she used to be.”

So, how do you make someone who has an uncanny ability to remember everything, remember something or someone she has chosen to forget? Despite their efforts and heartbreak, all a girl really needs is her mother…and someone who can relay the message.

“Every soul is a story shelved away in an infinite library in the sky.”

This book started out slow with a lot happening and too many different characters to keep track of. There was terminology that I had to “figure out” because they pertain to the story (not the dictionary) which made it hard to follow. Once I got past all of that, everything seemed to just click. It flowed beautifully (even with a constant change in POV), I truly didn’t want it to end. The tale of soul mates and past lives is absolutely fascinating—lovers who transcend lifetimes and continuously seek one another out is the epitome of romance. I’m a sucker for an epic romance. I love that Nathanial and his family fought so hard for Maryah to come back to them as she had been in previous lives. I liked the element of suspense coming from someone wanting to destroy connections and use these ancient gifts to their evil advantage. I loved how the end comes full circle in a sense…it was magical, mystical, heartbreaking and renewing all in one. I cannot wait for the next book: Taking Back Forever due out this year.

**4 Soul-Saving Stars**

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book i could not put down and I finished in one day but I had no computer to write a review with so I had to wait till It got fixed. Like I said I spent the whole day reading this book I wanted more I didn’t want it to finish, and when it finished I was greatly satisfied with the ending that will hold me till the second part comes out and I cannot wait for that…

Maryah is a 17 year old girl whos life is suddenly turned upside down when two men come into her home and murder her whole family leaving her for dead, while she is laying there dying she sees the face of this gorgeous guy and she thinks he is there to take her from this world she thinks he is the angel of death. Then she has to move with her Godmother Louise and this is a slow adjustment as she is getting used to the fact that she has no family and now she has to get used to a whole new family. But Louise and her family are very easy to get along with and they welcome her with open arms and she doesn’t understand why they go to so much effort with her when they hardly know her. She makes new friends and every night she has dreams and the angel of death that she calls him is in her dreams . Then she is invited to Louises son’s birthday and she meet Nathaniel Louise’s son, but the problem is he is the one she saw when she was dying ( her angel of death), he is the one in her dreams, how is that possible. And things progress from here .
Slowly she gets told her history that she is a Element. Elements are exceptional souls who are created and gifted to the world in pairs (soulmates) and that Nathaniel is her soulmate and the have spent many past lives together until the last life when she chose to erase. So she doesn’t remember anything of her past lives. Then something happens that slowly triggers her memory and she starts remembering things, about her previous lives and especially about Nathan, how much they loved each other. Meanwhile all this time Nathaniel had started to accept the fact that she was truly gone that she would never remember and it truly was breaking his heart, he felt like she was gone forever that he now had to wonder his lifetimes alone ,but then she does he world is whole again..
I have always loved the soulmate concept so I loved this book.. It was an emotional rollercoaster from start to end, you really feel what Nathaniel and Maryah are going through, especially when Nathaniel see’s Mayrah with another guy his heart breaks and I cryed LOL. Karen Amanda Hooper is great author and I cannot wait to read her next instalment of this awesome book. I would recommend this book to anyone..

[Once · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maryah Woodsen is just like any other seventeen year old girl. She believes she is just an ordinary American teenager with no special qualities. Her world quickly spins out of control when she finds her family has been murdered and has their killers standing over her as she tries to run for her life. In what she believes to be a hallucination as she is passing out from being attacked she comes face to face with her "angel of death" as she refers to him. She has no idea that this "angel of death" is really Nathaniel Luna, an Element, who is anything but normal eighteen year old boy who was placed in this world as her soul mate centuries ago. The problem is, Nathaniel is wounded to the center of his soul because his soul mate, Mary (the now seventeen year old Maryah) decided a lifetime ago to erase not only himself but all of their kindrily from her memories. She chose to be reborn to the world without knowing any of them. Nathan will stop at nothing to find Dedrick, the Nefarioun behind the attack on Maryah and her family. Dedrick holds the answer to why Maryah chose to erase after her last life and Nathan desperately needs to find out why.

The first word that came to mind as I started reading this book was "refreshing". I could not put this book down. From page 1 to page 391 I was sucked in and did not want to put the book down. Karen Amanda Hooper weaves a very refreshing tale putting a new spin on the classic star crossed love story. Set within this beautiful and at times painful love story are a cast of characters as vibrant as the colors described in the pages of the book. They jump off the page and command your attention. I found myself very invested in the cast of characters and each of their abilities as they try to restore Maryah's memories.

I'd recommend this story to anyone who loves a really beautiful love story and wants to hear it told from a new perspective. If the love story doesn't draw you in, read it for the lore that she builds this story around. I loved this book and personally can not wait for the sequel in 2013!

[JeanBookNerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Amanda Hooper’s first book in the Kindrily Series, Grasping at Eternity, tells the interesting story of seventeen-year-old Maryah Woodsen. After a brutal attack that left her parents and twin brother dead with the attacker leaving her barely alive, Maryah must recover with the feeling of her whole world being shattered. She’s sent off to live with her godmother and her family who has a deep dark secret – they are reincarnated souls with supernatural abilities. During these times, peculiar dreams of a handsome man with green eyes keeps her mind occupied at night. To make matters worse, her adoptive family is not the best, almost showing an unwelcoming feeling towards her presence in their home. Maryah can’t blame them for feeling that way since they barely know her…or so she thinks.

It is obvious that power of love and family are the focal point of this story. Author Karen’s puts her own twist into a family with supernatural gifts, calling them the Kindrily who are reincarnated souls with the ability to remember previous lives. Karen’s writing style is filled with rich descriptions of a family with century old secrets. The characters are vividly alive and engage in situations that make the plot progress and readers will find themselves engulfed into the world of the Kindrily. Once readers are mesmerized by this wonderful world, they will have a difficult time finding the exit door. Grasping at Eternity is an amazing and refreshing idea of a family with a unique lifestyle. Karen has delivered an original plot with likable characters living in a well-thought-out world. Its uniqueness is admirable and will definitely not disappoint.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper Grasping at Eternity gave me everything I wanted out of this book and more! If I wasn't already a huge fan of novels about Reincarnation, Grasping at Eternity would make me one. Karen Amanda Hooper adds some twists to the idea that really add to the story and helped keep me interested.The characters are all vibrant and all have very different personalities. I fell in love with them and really enjoyed finding out more about their past lives. Reading about their past lives got a bit confusing at times, but it made sense for it to be that way. They can't control what body they are reborn into. One life your best friend may be reborn as your brother/sister, the next they may be your father/mother! The one constant is they always had their soulmates. Until Marayah went and screwed that up for Nathan by Erasing that is.Grasping at Eternity was a wonderful blend of just about everything I love in a story. Romance, Action, history, fantasy and a bit of mystery! I cannot wait to read book #2 and see what happens. Grasping at Eternity left me with my heart racing and dying to know what happens next. I also plan for sure on reading Karen Amanda Hooper's other book  Tangled Tides. I'm curious to see what more this author has to offer and what she does in the world of Mermaids!
 
To read more of my reviews please visit http://thepassionatebookworm.blogspot... !

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is GREAT!
It's like Twilight but better. Epic love mixed with cool X-men powers (sort of) and a main character that isn't annoying as hell. Not to mention it's way better written then Twilight. So it's an awesome version of Twilight mixed with X-men. (And I love X-men, so.)

I really really really loved this book. Once again I am so thankful that I have found Goodreads, otherwise I would have never known about this book. The story is great, the plot and characters well-developed,... It's really really cool and I want to read the next book in the series as soon as it's released. This one definitely deserves a spot on my favorites-shelf! *applause*

Oh, were can I order myself a Nathan?


A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was free AND good! Those two things can be rare at times.

This was an interesting story. The whole reincarnation element was an idea that I don't think about much. The thought of my soul mate(who I totally believed I married) not knowing me anymore and not remembering us anymore but I remembering everything sounds like pure torture. I know this book is a series but I was pretty pleased with where this one left off and I'm not sure if I need to keep going. I'm not a lover of series at the moment.

Over-all glad I read this one.

[Wen Baragrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read from Karen Amanda Hooper, and she's swiftly becoming one of my favorite authors. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book, and the last half in particular kept me turning pages until I finished at nearly 3am. As an added bonus, the last chapter made me cry--which doesn't happen often and which always makes a book jump a couple of stars in my view :) Thanks for a great read, Karen!

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another book with a terrible main character. Maryah tells Nathan that she wants to die. She even tells him that she prays to die everyday. He wants to show her that she doesn't feel that way. So he does something and unfortunately it backfires and they really do almost die. She then starts screaming at him and calls him a psycho for most of the book. Really? You tell him that you want to die and you almost do then YOU call him names. Her stupidity was just too much for me.

[Heather McCorkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is an outstanding sojourn into what it means to truly love and the depths of sacrifice one will go to for that love. I haven't read an opening this gripping since Across The Universe by Beth Revis. Once Grasping At Eternity had me in its grip, it never let me go. The stars will always seem brighter to me now.

Highly Recommend!!!

[Soumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW...what I book. I'm sure as hell that I was Mary in my past lives and I so damn in love with Nathan. Oh my god..i don't know what to write. I'm speechless. Review to come