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The Locket #1
The Locket
Some things are just mean to be…
For seventeen year old Claire Blake, life never stood still long enough to make friends or fall in love. But all of that was about to change.
Maybe it’s the rumors her house is haunted or her parents are crazy that have Claire feeling like an outcast on her first day of school. Regardless, it’s obvious to Claire she’s not welcomed.
After meeting Brent Cassidy, she is drawn to him with irrefutable force, though they both adamantly attempt to deny it.
A series of supernatural events lead her to question her purpose in life. She’ll discover, love, friendship, and one’s importance is likely predetermined and undeniable.
For seventeen year old Claire Blake, life never stood still long enough to make friends or fall in love. But all of that was about to change.
Maybe it’s the rumors her house is haunted or her parents are crazy that have Claire feeling like an outcast on her first day of school. Regardless, it’s obvious to Claire she’s not welcomed.
After meeting Brent Cassidy, she is drawn to him with irrefutable force, though they both adamantly attempt to deny it.
A series of supernatural events lead her to question her purpose in life. She’ll discover, love, friendship, and one’s importance is likely predetermined and undeniable.
396 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
11 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Bell
16 books507 followersK J Bell currently lives in California with her husband and three children. As a mother of three, when she’s not writing, she’s usually carting one of her children to their various activities.
She enjoys reading, and music, and is equally addicted to both.
Writing is a passion she simply can’t live without.
She loves hearing from her readers and can be found on various social media sites
She enjoys reading, and music, and is equally addicted to both.
Writing is a passion she simply can’t live without.
She loves hearing from her readers and can be found on various social media sites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 21, 2013
It was good but I think the author just through in some of these scenes as an after thought or something because it wasn't very smooth and at times some things felt contradictory. I'll definitely read the next one though.
July 19, 2024
I enjoyed this book a lot! The premise was excellent. I was a little unsure when I heard about the ghost aspect but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it played out. This is not your run of the mill paranormal romance. It's got new elements that I haven't seen before. Brent hooked me in right at the start. He's a terrific hero. Claire, on the other hand, I really wanted to slap. I found her to be immature and made me so mad when she did really stupid things. I understand where she was coming from, and I know that it was part of the storyline, but I still didn't like it. The supporting cast of characters was awesome! I loved how they were introduced gradually and how each of them played such a pivotal part in the overall story. This is a great book and I can't wait to read the sequel.
April 14, 2013
This has a clever and imaginative theme. I love the idea that we all have a soul mate and Bell has taken the idea and woven a unique and interesting story with creative characters. Romance novels are so ubiquitous, so it was refreshing to read one with an unusual take on "boy meets girl," and whether they live happily ever after. Fast moving and excellent presentation of protagonist and antagonist.
March 16, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I feel like everything came together perfect. I love Claire and Brent's story, as well as Logan and Reese. I am ready for more. I will definitely recommend this book. It was great!! Kudos K.J. Bell!!~~
March 19, 2013
eh. This book was ok. Brent was a good romantic interest. But the main character Claire. No She was a snotty bratty. Uh I hated her character. I don't know if I will read book two.
March 21, 2013
I liked this book. My dad was in the military so we move around a lot and I could relate to claire on that level. And Brent was hot! I'd let him be my paramour.
April 28, 2013
At times, had me on the edge of my seat. Interesting twist on the paranormal, with a love story intertwined. A story to make you think, if not wonder....
May 17, 2013
A rather enjoyable paranormal, romance for New Adult/Older YA. Great characterisations and character interaction. Unusual storyline that keeps you interested and on edge.
July 20, 2013
Loved it
July 13, 2013
I first connected with K.J. Bell on Facebook via a mutual friend; I decided to give this book a try; I'm a sucker for romantic books, and stories that are paranormal. I really enjoyed reading this book. To be honest, I read it all starting one night, then finished it the next afternoon and early evening, I couldn't put it down. Aside from the story itself, it was the romance dynamic that kept me reading! There may be a "mature" warning for this book, but it's nowhere like what you'd expect 50 Shades of Gray to be, honestly, I'm not even sure why it has that warning; A Song of Ice and Fire is a high fantasy series, and there's more graphic adult content in that than in this, but I digress.
The premise of the story is a great idea, it seemed original from my perspective. However, there are certain drawbacks. At some points in the story, mainly when Brent is explaining exactly what he and Claire are to Claire at the beach house, I was somewhat lost and had to keep re-reading paragraphs that I had just finished in order to build the story in my mind; the descriptions just weren't entirely cohesive thoughts that flow seamlessly. The whole story and idea behind the book isn't explained very clearly; this leaves a lot of space for questions to be raised by the readers. A lot of times, the interactions in the book seemed forced in a way, and almost unbelievable - i.e. the high school moments, etc. Yeah, I get this is a work of fiction, so I let it slide. I think the more Bell writes, the more natural these interactions will come to her.
Some gaps in the story that I found are, 1) Where does this garage full of cars from Claire's grandfather fit in? It seemed like it was thrown into the story out of sheer convenience that the characters needed a ride to get out of town. In this same train of thought, the beach house was explained well, it was just the sudden appearance of this garage that threw me off. 2) Bell expects the reader to go along the terminology based off the particular context with which it is present in the book. It works about 85% of the time in The Locket; the other 15% of the time, you're having to re-read and struggle to figure out what this paranormal story is trying to bring across to you. For me, this was distracting and broke my reading pace. 3) It's implied that Brent is present in many instances throughout Claire's life, yet his ability is not to change shapes, that is her half-brother Reese's ability... how is this cohesive? Did his abilities change as he matured into adulthood? This needs to be explained better. 4) It's said that Claire's aunt Maggie utilizes the scent of strong potpourri and deodorizer to "cover Claire's scent" or the like, yet this isn't explained any further and is not mentioned anywhere else in the book - again, does this "scent" only apply to those who are underage?
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story and for me, if I can't put it down and enjoy it altogether, it deserves at least 4 stars. I'm taking away one star for the reasons listed above.
A great book. I am excited for Shadowed!
The premise of the story is a great idea, it seemed original from my perspective. However, there are certain drawbacks. At some points in the story, mainly when Brent is explaining exactly what he and Claire are to Claire at the beach house, I was somewhat lost and had to keep re-reading paragraphs that I had just finished in order to build the story in my mind; the descriptions just weren't entirely cohesive thoughts that flow seamlessly. The whole story and idea behind the book isn't explained very clearly; this leaves a lot of space for questions to be raised by the readers. A lot of times, the interactions in the book seemed forced in a way, and almost unbelievable - i.e. the high school moments, etc. Yeah, I get this is a work of fiction, so I let it slide. I think the more Bell writes, the more natural these interactions will come to her.
Some gaps in the story that I found are, 1) Where does this garage full of cars from Claire's grandfather fit in? It seemed like it was thrown into the story out of sheer convenience that the characters needed a ride to get out of town. In this same train of thought, the beach house was explained well, it was just the sudden appearance of this garage that threw me off. 2) Bell expects the reader to go along the terminology based off the particular context with which it is present in the book. It works about 85% of the time in The Locket; the other 15% of the time, you're having to re-read and struggle to figure out what this paranormal story is trying to bring across to you. For me, this was distracting and broke my reading pace. 3) It's implied that Brent is present in many instances throughout Claire's life, yet his ability is not to change shapes, that is her half-brother Reese's ability... how is this cohesive? Did his abilities change as he matured into adulthood? This needs to be explained better. 4) It's said that Claire's aunt Maggie utilizes the scent of strong potpourri and deodorizer to "cover Claire's scent" or the like, yet this isn't explained any further and is not mentioned anywhere else in the book - again, does this "scent" only apply to those who are underage?
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story and for me, if I can't put it down and enjoy it altogether, it deserves at least 4 stars. I'm taking away one star for the reasons listed above.
A great book. I am excited for Shadowed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2013
This was the kind of story that you read when it is the weekend and you don't want anything too heavy. It has some good characters, and the story line wasn't bad at all. I did have a hard time with Claire sometimes as she seemed to get herself in trouble all the time even though she was supposed to be a strong independent character able to save the world. The story also kind of repeated itself - different situations but same thing happening, she never learned her lesson. I did like the relationship she had with Brent even though sometimes it seemed almost immature like something from Jr. High rather then high school. They also moved very quickly from just meeting each other to head over heals in love which was a bit unrealistic when the whole "who did you have relations with prior to me" came up. I know her relationship with her Aunt is based on trust and understanding especially after her parent's death, but it seems that none of the kids in her school have much in terms of parental guidance either. They all just come and go whenever and where ever they want sometimes for days on end. I don't know many seniors in high school that would have that much freedom at all so that part was very unrealistic. I did enjoy the enigma of Kace but felt rather let down when the story ended.. such a build up throughout the whole story of him and then it just kind of ended so easily and quickly in like one chapter. She had a more complicated relationship/situation with Logan and he was supposed to be working for Kace. I kept waiting for Kace to show up as he was supposed to be so powerful and all knowing from his ties to the dark side. This part of the story surprised me as her relationship with Logan went on for quite some time with a bit of a twist or two thrown in. And after having such an awakening after seeing his future he fell off the band wagon awfully quick too. But that being said, all in all it was a good story and I found myself unable to put it down once I got started. I enjoyed the light hearted banter between the characters and the different story line that it had. I would recommend this story to those who enjoy a paranormal kind of romance with some angels and good vs evil thrown in. I would definitely read the next book to find out what happens and who they get to Chase!
October 5, 2016
Too good to put down !
I had downloaded "The Locket" because I have always liked reading books about the paranormal, but this book is SO much more than that. I will admit that the beginning started off slow for me because of all the great detail that KJ Bell had put in setting up Claire's background for her audience, but I soon found out after the 1st chapter that this is one of those books that kinda needed it.
No spoilers here (mainly because I hate when reviewers do that LOL), I have to say I really loved how the author wrote a little bit about each important person in Claire's life without giving too much away to soon, and then bringing the readers into the whole picture along with Claire. It was refreshing and a rather sensual (or wonderful) moment between Claire and the reader.
LOL Just my 2 cents worth...
I know anyone who is 16+ would really appreciate this book if they're into a little bit of detail, a bit more suspense, love and resilience, along with some paranormal. I know how much I enjoyed it and it's considered a YA book... and I haven't been that in many years !!!
Great job and I cannot wait to read the 2nd book in this series !!!
I had downloaded "The Locket" because I have always liked reading books about the paranormal, but this book is SO much more than that. I will admit that the beginning started off slow for me because of all the great detail that KJ Bell had put in setting up Claire's background for her audience, but I soon found out after the 1st chapter that this is one of those books that kinda needed it.
No spoilers here (mainly because I hate when reviewers do that LOL), I have to say I really loved how the author wrote a little bit about each important person in Claire's life without giving too much away to soon, and then bringing the readers into the whole picture along with Claire. It was refreshing and a rather sensual (or wonderful) moment between Claire and the reader.
LOL Just my 2 cents worth...
I know anyone who is 16+ would really appreciate this book if they're into a little bit of detail, a bit more suspense, love and resilience, along with some paranormal. I know how much I enjoyed it and it's considered a YA book... and I haven't been that in many years !!!
Great job and I cannot wait to read the 2nd book in this series !!!
May 8, 2013
I had to wait a few days to post a review of this book. My girlfriend recommended it when I told her I was over the same old stories. She warned me the main character “Claire” was annoying and she was. In fact most of the book, I wanted to choke her, however it did keep me reading it. I decided I would wait to write a review until I had a few days to think it over. I finally decided that it makes sense for Claire to be the way she is because she was never allowed to make mistakes and therefore was never able to learn from them until she meets Brent. That said, Brent is a love interest that I fell for immediately and I want more of him. I have to say the thing I love most about this book is over the last week, I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I find myself wondering a lot and questioning things more that I normally do. I want to know what these characters are up to and what will happen next. I haven’t felt that way since I read Twilight and I’m excited for the next book to come out.
Read
March 30, 2013The story is kinda predictable. The sequence of events, the transition of human characters into a paranormal ones, the romance between them and the way they defeat the enemy are normal on its genre. Claire is kinda selfish, I really don't like her character. When she did have some feelings with Logan kinda pissed me off. Still, Brent will be always be with her.
May 1, 2018
Different to say the least ❤️
This book was so far different than anything I’ve read from the author. While I enjoyed the book it wasn’t my favorite of hers... she still is an amazing author and I’ll continue to read anything she writes ❤️❤️❤️
This book was so far different than anything I’ve read from the author. While I enjoyed the book it wasn’t my favorite of hers... she still is an amazing author and I’ll continue to read anything she writes ❤️❤️❤️
October 5, 2018
Didn't finish. I couldn't hook me.
August 10, 2016
I received this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
From the start, I was intrigued by the potential of the story- unaware of her true background, Claire begins to experience supernatural things and new connections to the people around her. However- the first few times I tried to read this book, I couldn't. I couldn't relate to Claire at all, and the beginning jumped around and I found myself re-reading the same chapters in the hopes that I missed some explanation. The plot also seemed familiar from so many other paranormal novels- girl meets boy, girl figures out she is special, girl and boy work together to fight evil.
That being said- this weekend, I sat down and read the whole novel. First, I understand it better now- it seems to be the first of a series, which explains some of the slower areas that must have been set-up for future books. Second, the characters grew on me. By the end, I did understand their motivations better. The novel also became more unique and interesting. I still have a ton of questions, and some parts that didn't make sense to me, but maybe it will be explained in sequels.
I did wind up enjoying the story, and would be interested to see where future books take the characters.
From the start, I was intrigued by the potential of the story- unaware of her true background, Claire begins to experience supernatural things and new connections to the people around her. However- the first few times I tried to read this book, I couldn't. I couldn't relate to Claire at all, and the beginning jumped around and I found myself re-reading the same chapters in the hopes that I missed some explanation. The plot also seemed familiar from so many other paranormal novels- girl meets boy, girl figures out she is special, girl and boy work together to fight evil.
That being said- this weekend, I sat down and read the whole novel. First, I understand it better now- it seems to be the first of a series, which explains some of the slower areas that must have been set-up for future books. Second, the characters grew on me. By the end, I did understand their motivations better. The novel also became more unique and interesting. I still have a ton of questions, and some parts that didn't make sense to me, but maybe it will be explained in sequels.
I did wind up enjoying the story, and would be interested to see where future books take the characters.
March 1, 2015
I stayed up late to finish this book, and I don't do that too often, so this gets four stars. However, Bell definitely should have spent more time on the writing process. There were a lot of places where word choice, phrasing, and overall descriptions were awkward. There was at least one place where the mood should have been tense but I was grimacing from Bell's descriptions rather than the plot.
I also thought Bell could have made Claire a bit less ridiculous. Does this girl (Claire) never learn?
Overall a great example of a good plot with only decent writing.
I also thought Bell could have made Claire a bit less ridiculous. Does this girl (Claire) never learn?
Overall a great example of a good plot with only decent writing.
March 9, 2015
Love it
Very good book as always! KJ Bell is one of my go to authors I never look at the synopsis because I already know I'm going to love it. I couldn't put the book down unless I absolutely had to like my kindle died and I had no choice but to charge it and feed my kids.
Very good book as always! KJ Bell is one of my go to authors I never look at the synopsis because I already know I'm going to love it. I couldn't put the book down unless I absolutely had to like my kindle died and I had no choice but to charge it and feed my kids.
March 21, 2013
Loved this book!!!
March 22, 2013
Enjoyed the slightly different spin on the paranormal and soulmates. Will read the second book and really looking forward to her other book.
April 7, 2013
Great book by fabulous new author- can't wait to see the sequel
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May 8, 2013
Confusing at times
May 8, 2013
Confusing at times
May 21, 2013
This was a nice change up in story line, I liked it alot
February 22, 2015
Couldnt even finish it.
July 14, 2013
wow the twists in this novel loved it glad she ended up with brent
September 7, 2013
loved it!
July 20, 2014
Like it
Like it
it was a bit slow (and a little boring) at first but gets exciting in chapter 2! Can't wait for the next one!
Like it
it was a bit slow (and a little boring) at first but gets exciting in chapter 2! Can't wait for the next one!
March 31, 2018
If you'd like to read a more comprehensive review go to my blog: Avalon Reads Books
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews