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Untamed #1
Until You Find Me
Amber Hart pushes contemporary romance to its wildest limits in this heart-pounding novel, the story of a girl who travels to Africa to protect the legacy of one man . . . and stays for the love of another.
Raven Moore, a twenty-year-old college student from Michigan, feels out of place in the beautiful, treacherous jungles of Cameroon, staying in the habitat where her father gave his life to help protect endangered gorillas. He left home years ago; now Raven refuses to return home until she unravels the truth about his last days.
Raven certainly doesn’t count on crossing paths with a handsome young hunter—especially one as charismatic and intense as Jospin Tondjii. Instantly, she’s hooked. But Jospin is hiding a dark truth: He is the heir to a powerful poaching empire, part of a ruthless black market that is responsible for the dwindling gorilla population.
Their fathers may have been enemies, but Raven and Jospin forge a bond that goes beyond blood, a relationship that is tested as Raven draws closer to the source of her father’s death. Can she and Jospin bear the weight of the secrets of the wild—and the secrets of their pasts? Or will the rain forest destroy them both?
Raven Moore, a twenty-year-old college student from Michigan, feels out of place in the beautiful, treacherous jungles of Cameroon, staying in the habitat where her father gave his life to help protect endangered gorillas. He left home years ago; now Raven refuses to return home until she unravels the truth about his last days.
Raven certainly doesn’t count on crossing paths with a handsome young hunter—especially one as charismatic and intense as Jospin Tondjii. Instantly, she’s hooked. But Jospin is hiding a dark truth: He is the heir to a powerful poaching empire, part of a ruthless black market that is responsible for the dwindling gorilla population.
Their fathers may have been enemies, but Raven and Jospin forge a bond that goes beyond blood, a relationship that is tested as Raven draws closer to the source of her father’s death. Can she and Jospin bear the weight of the secrets of the wild—and the secrets of their pasts? Or will the rain forest destroy them both?
250 pages, ebook
First published November 11, 2014
About the author
Amber Hart
8 books179 followersAuthor of:
WICKED CHARM, young adult standalone romantic thriller, Entangled Teen 2018
UNTIL YOU FIND ME, (Untamed series #1) new adult contemporary romantic thriller, Penguin Random House 2014
CAPTURED BY YOU, (Untamed series #2), Penguin Random House 2015
BEFORE YOU (Before & After series, #1), young adult contemporary romance, Kensington 2014
AFTER US (Before & After series, #2), Kensington 2014
WICKED CHARM, young adult standalone romantic thriller, Entangled Teen 2018
UNTIL YOU FIND ME, (Untamed series #1) new adult contemporary romantic thriller, Penguin Random House 2014
CAPTURED BY YOU, (Untamed series #2), Penguin Random House 2015
BEFORE YOU (Before & After series, #1), young adult contemporary romance, Kensington 2014
AFTER US (Before & After series, #2), Kensington 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
November 11, 2014
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4.5 Beautiful Stars
Raven’s dad has spent most of her life in Cameroon working to rehabilitate apes, after poaching attempts. Her dad has been asking her to come visit for the summer, but hasn’t told her why when he is killed by an ape attack. Raven decides to move there for the summer and try to find out why her dad wanted her there in the first place. Within weeks of arriving Raven is in the jungle and attacked by an ape. She is seriously injured and out of commission for weeks, but decides to stay and see things out.
Jospin grew up in Cameroon and he is the heir to one of the biggest poaching packs in his area. None of that matters when he hears a girl screaming, he immediately runs into the jungle to try to save her. When he finds Raven she is already being tended to by habitat workers and ape has been tranquilized. She is badly beaten and bloody, but Jospin is still attracted to the beautiful blonde.
Weeks later Raven and Jospin officially meet while Raven is trying to make weapons, since they are not allowed in the habitat. Wanting any reason to see her again, Jospin offers to help Raven. This is how Raven and Jospin begin to form a relationship. These two are obviously from two different words and have nothing in common, but their need to survive and attraction to each other.
Throughout the story Raven begins to find herself. She has been so angry. Angry that her dad choose the apes over her and her mom. Angry that this love ended up taking his life early. Angry that she was attacked during her first few days here and almost killed. Multiple things contribute to her growth, one being an ape who will only react to her.
"Leahcim steals it from me after I’ve taken a bite. A smile plays on my lips. He’s hungry, all right. He’s is just more stubborn than anyone I’ve every known. It’s not that he doesn’t want to eat. It’s that he doesn’t wan to eat on their terms.”
While Raven continues to grow, so does her relationship with Jospin. Jospin is hiding things and it is obvious, but she gives him his space since she is hiding things too. Jospin knows he shouldn’t pursue anything with Raven, he is the enemy and being with her would put her life in danger. When the resistants becomes too much the two of them give in and allow each other to explore their feelings.
“I think I’m the luckiest man to be wanted by you. I want you to be mine only, because I can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you. I don’t know how to deal with that possibility. I want you to know that I’ve never asked anyone to be mine, and maybe that’s not saying a lot to you, but in my world it’s everything.”
I wasn’t sure if this one would be a winner when I started it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I sat down and read this in one sitting, it is told in dual pov. It is a quick read with so much heart. I loved seeing the development of both characters, while struggling with their families/past. This one does have an open ending, but the cliffy isn’t horrible. I highly recommend this one.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Beautiful Stars
Raven’s dad has spent most of her life in Cameroon working to rehabilitate apes, after poaching attempts. Her dad has been asking her to come visit for the summer, but hasn’t told her why when he is killed by an ape attack. Raven decides to move there for the summer and try to find out why her dad wanted her there in the first place. Within weeks of arriving Raven is in the jungle and attacked by an ape. She is seriously injured and out of commission for weeks, but decides to stay and see things out.
Jospin grew up in Cameroon and he is the heir to one of the biggest poaching packs in his area. None of that matters when he hears a girl screaming, he immediately runs into the jungle to try to save her. When he finds Raven she is already being tended to by habitat workers and ape has been tranquilized. She is badly beaten and bloody, but Jospin is still attracted to the beautiful blonde.
Weeks later Raven and Jospin officially meet while Raven is trying to make weapons, since they are not allowed in the habitat. Wanting any reason to see her again, Jospin offers to help Raven. This is how Raven and Jospin begin to form a relationship. These two are obviously from two different words and have nothing in common, but their need to survive and attraction to each other.
Throughout the story Raven begins to find herself. She has been so angry. Angry that her dad choose the apes over her and her mom. Angry that this love ended up taking his life early. Angry that she was attacked during her first few days here and almost killed. Multiple things contribute to her growth, one being an ape who will only react to her.
"Leahcim steals it from me after I’ve taken a bite. A smile plays on my lips. He’s hungry, all right. He’s is just more stubborn than anyone I’ve every known. It’s not that he doesn’t want to eat. It’s that he doesn’t wan to eat on their terms.”
While Raven continues to grow, so does her relationship with Jospin. Jospin is hiding things and it is obvious, but she gives him his space since she is hiding things too. Jospin knows he shouldn’t pursue anything with Raven, he is the enemy and being with her would put her life in danger. When the resistants becomes too much the two of them give in and allow each other to explore their feelings.
“I think I’m the luckiest man to be wanted by you. I want you to be mine only, because I can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you. I don’t know how to deal with that possibility. I want you to know that I’ve never asked anyone to be mine, and maybe that’s not saying a lot to you, but in my world it’s everything.”
I wasn’t sure if this one would be a winner when I started it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I sat down and read this in one sitting, it is told in dual pov. It is a quick read with so much heart. I loved seeing the development of both characters, while struggling with their families/past. This one does have an open ending, but the cliffy isn’t horrible. I highly recommend this one.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2015
4 - I am a collection of broken pieces. Stars!
I absolutely loved this book, if you are looking for unique characters, in an unusual setting, with a writing style that borders on lyrical, then you are really going to enjoy Until You Find Me. Amber Hart is a new author on my reading list, but after reading the first part of Raven and Jospin’s story I am pretty sure that won’t be the case going forward.
She is different where everything else looks the same.
I didn’t really have any expectations going into this book, the synopsis offered something completely different, the characters aren’t your average young twenty-something’s, and the setting; namely the Cameroon Jungle is certainly not somewhere I have visited in person or my imagination before.
Raven is staying at the Heart for Habitat Gorilla Sanctuary, trying to come to terms with, and ultimately understand why her father dies. Dealing with her grief, a vicious gorilla attack that has left her scarred and scared, as well as trying to understand just what it exactly was that kept her dad from her life, and from missing her childhood years.
You can kind of see where parts of this story is going to go as it develops, Jospin epitomizes everything Raven shouldn’t want, and Raven is everything that Jospin should avoid, but it is so beautifully written that you can’t help but get lost in their adventure. With them both keeping secrets from each other, and knowing only the basic background information, their time together focuses purely on the now and the stolen moments that they manage to spend with each other, as well as the unique circumstances that they find themselves in.
”It seems I’ve grossly underestimated your determination.”
This book is full of suspense, surprising twists and a really good plot line, the diversity of the characters and the location that everything takes place in offers a refreshing and unusual read. I am a total sucker for animals in my book so Leahcim the gorilla and Raven's interactions with him, added even more enjoyment to my overall reading pleasure.
Great news is, I have the second part of this couples story lined up to read next, Captured by You promises to be as exciting as its predecessor, what with the tables turning on pretty much everything Raven and Jospin have been through together, and their lives in general so far.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was an absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.
I absolutely loved this book, if you are looking for unique characters, in an unusual setting, with a writing style that borders on lyrical, then you are really going to enjoy Until You Find Me. Amber Hart is a new author on my reading list, but after reading the first part of Raven and Jospin’s story I am pretty sure that won’t be the case going forward.
She is different where everything else looks the same.
I didn’t really have any expectations going into this book, the synopsis offered something completely different, the characters aren’t your average young twenty-something’s, and the setting; namely the Cameroon Jungle is certainly not somewhere I have visited in person or my imagination before.
Raven is staying at the Heart for Habitat Gorilla Sanctuary, trying to come to terms with, and ultimately understand why her father dies. Dealing with her grief, a vicious gorilla attack that has left her scarred and scared, as well as trying to understand just what it exactly was that kept her dad from her life, and from missing her childhood years.
You can kind of see where parts of this story is going to go as it develops, Jospin epitomizes everything Raven shouldn’t want, and Raven is everything that Jospin should avoid, but it is so beautifully written that you can’t help but get lost in their adventure. With them both keeping secrets from each other, and knowing only the basic background information, their time together focuses purely on the now and the stolen moments that they manage to spend with each other, as well as the unique circumstances that they find themselves in.
”It seems I’ve grossly underestimated your determination.”
This book is full of suspense, surprising twists and a really good plot line, the diversity of the characters and the location that everything takes place in offers a refreshing and unusual read. I am a total sucker for animals in my book so Leahcim the gorilla and Raven's interactions with him, added even more enjoyment to my overall reading pleasure.
Great news is, I have the second part of this couples story lined up to read next, Captured by You promises to be as exciting as its predecessor, what with the tables turning on pretty much everything Raven and Jospin have been through together, and their lives in general so far.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was an absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.
May 16, 2015
Wow! This book is absolutely gorgeous! Everything from the writing, the characters and the storyline just pulls you right in. Raven is an American who goes to Africa after the death of her father. Her father ran a habitat to save gorillas from poachers and was killed. Raven doesn't like the apes and is upset that her father chose the habitat over being with her and her mother. While out in the jungle, she meets a hunter, Jospin. They form an unlikely friendship that develops into more. There is so much to this story - the endangered apes, the developing relationship between Raven and Joplin, the situation with the poachers and also Raven dealing with the death of her father. There is some mystery, a lot of suspense and a great love. I could not put this book down. I was not expecting to be pulled into this story in the way that I was. The writing is magnificent - the descriptions brought out so many emotions in me while I was reading. This story is incredibly unique and I have not read anything like this. I loved this book - it was amazing and I can't wait for the next book in this series - I have to know what is going to happen! Highly recommend!!!
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
January 20, 2022
Rating: 4.1 / 5
Okay, wow. I breezed through this way faster than I thought I would, but I can't say that I'm sorry. It's kind of hard not to be compelled by this story, actually, and so it's completely understandable why one can breeze through it. At its heart it is a romance, but both the setting and the circumstances of the characters make it resonate outside of just the lovey-dovey context.
So, what's the story? Well, Raven's your typical blonde American woman, whose father founded a habitat preservation centre dedicated to helping out injured animals in Cameroon, but more specifically gorillas. Raven herself came to Cameroon after her father's death, hoping to just...find answers, I guess. (And yeah, this isn't the strongest motivation to put herself through the time, expenditure, and absolute agony of living and trekking through the jungle, but yeah, let's just assume that it's good enough.)
The story starts off quite dramatically, with Raven in fact being attacked by a silverback gorilla and barely making it out alive.
For some borderline-crazy reason, she decides to hang around after that, still determined to find answers to the reason behind her father's death. Except that now that she got the message that the jungle's a dangerous place, she takes on a new plan of actions and starts making weapons for herself.
_____________________________________
Meanwhile, a hop, skip, and a jump away is Jospin, a skilled hunter and jungle survivor who witnessed Raven's attack but was unable to get to her in time. He's intrigued by Raven, as she's so out of place in the jungle, but he doesn't get too close, as he's got a situation of his own. Namely: he's the only son of the leader of the most successful poaching operation in the jungle, so it's not like he can just walk up to her and introduce himself all casual-like, y'know?
Anyway, he admires Raven for attempting to craft her own weapons (spears) and that she shows true grit for making it through the jungle, so he "casually" offers to give her knife-throwing lessons.
Now, for me personally, this is where the story fell apart just a bit, and is why I'm taking a star off from this read even though I otherwise liked it. Because, while I could 100% understand Jospin's point of view, even though I overlooked Raven's weak motivation for staying in Cameroon, I could not ignore how oblivious and rather stupid she was to trust Jospin in the first place.
Well, okay, maybe "trust" is a strong word, but I definitely didn't get the sense during their first interactions that she was on-guard, even though she should have been. I mean, picture yourself in this scenario: you're in the middle of a jungle and come across a dude who's an expert knife thrower, and who invites you back to his pad.
Assuming you actually follow him, then picture this: the inside of his house is covered floor to ceiling with weapons, tons of guns and knives and pretty much other "toys" that make it pretty clear that he doesn't have them around "just for protection".
Ahem, and then, assuming you stick around for that, therefore allowing yourself to be potentially locked in this gentleman's abode, you also find out that he in fact makes some of these weapons himself, and that he's also got a monitoring system that you find out about later.
But, y'know, no big deal, right?
Now, for the record, Jospin does end up being an okay guy and all that, but what I couldn't suspend disbelief for was how casual Raven followed him around, went into his house, etc. etc. etc., despite all of the above warning signs. Like...there wasn't trust between them, but there wasn't outward distrust or wariness either (more like just avoiding the elephants or, ahem, guns in the room), and that felt off to me. I just would've liked a bit more realism there is all.
_____________________________________
But anyway, that's how the story begins and how it proceeds is...eh, kind of typical and just as expected, to be honest, which is yet another reason for why I opted for a 4-star rather than a 5-star rating for this one. True, as soon as you know that something has that obvious Romeo and Juliet setup, you more or less know where the story is going, but at the same time you (or, more specifically, I) can't help but still hope that something unexpected might happen.
In a way, I guess that the ending of this book (which is a cliffy, by the way, and I'm not giving spoilers by saying that--just a friendly warning) does kind of do that, though to be honest it doesn't gear me up for finding out what happens in the sequel. I can more or less guess where it's going to go, and assume that there's a HEA at the end of the road.
_____________________________________
All in all and therefore, if someone asked me how I would classify this as a read, I'd definitely say that it has a lot of good moments and is compelling in that it's a pairing that you don't read about as often in contemporary romance; but, at the same time, it's nothing truly grand or spectacular, though I'm not sure if the author was ever aiming for it to be.
If this is your cup of tea in terms of romances and plot/setting, then for sure I'd recommend reading it. The writing is quite good and, again, it's a story that you don't see everywhere over and over again. Definitely worth a try if you're interested.
Okay, wow. I breezed through this way faster than I thought I would, but I can't say that I'm sorry. It's kind of hard not to be compelled by this story, actually, and so it's completely understandable why one can breeze through it. At its heart it is a romance, but both the setting and the circumstances of the characters make it resonate outside of just the lovey-dovey context.
So, what's the story? Well, Raven's your typical blonde American woman, whose father founded a habitat preservation centre dedicated to helping out injured animals in Cameroon, but more specifically gorillas. Raven herself came to Cameroon after her father's death, hoping to just...find answers, I guess. (And yeah, this isn't the strongest motivation to put herself through the time, expenditure, and absolute agony of living and trekking through the jungle, but yeah, let's just assume that it's good enough.)
The story starts off quite dramatically, with Raven in fact being attacked by a silverback gorilla and barely making it out alive.
For some borderline-crazy reason, she decides to hang around after that, still determined to find answers to the reason behind her father's death. Except that now that she got the message that the jungle's a dangerous place, she takes on a new plan of actions and starts making weapons for herself.
_____________________________________
Meanwhile, a hop, skip, and a jump away is Jospin, a skilled hunter and jungle survivor who witnessed Raven's attack but was unable to get to her in time. He's intrigued by Raven, as she's so out of place in the jungle, but he doesn't get too close, as he's got a situation of his own. Namely: he's the only son of the leader of the most successful poaching operation in the jungle, so it's not like he can just walk up to her and introduce himself all casual-like, y'know?
Anyway, he admires Raven for attempting to craft her own weapons (spears) and that she shows true grit for making it through the jungle, so he "casually" offers to give her knife-throwing lessons.
Now, for me personally, this is where the story fell apart just a bit, and is why I'm taking a star off from this read even though I otherwise liked it. Because, while I could 100% understand Jospin's point of view, even though I overlooked Raven's weak motivation for staying in Cameroon, I could not ignore how oblivious and rather stupid she was to trust Jospin in the first place.
Well, okay, maybe "trust" is a strong word, but I definitely didn't get the sense during their first interactions that she was on-guard, even though she should have been. I mean, picture yourself in this scenario: you're in the middle of a jungle and come across a dude who's an expert knife thrower, and who invites you back to his pad.
Assuming you actually follow him, then picture this: the inside of his house is covered floor to ceiling with weapons, tons of guns and knives and pretty much other "toys" that make it pretty clear that he doesn't have them around "just for protection".
Ahem, and then, assuming you stick around for that, therefore allowing yourself to be potentially locked in this gentleman's abode, you also find out that he in fact makes some of these weapons himself, and that he's also got a monitoring system that you find out about later.
But, y'know, no big deal, right?
Now, for the record, Jospin does end up being an okay guy and all that, but what I couldn't suspend disbelief for was how casual Raven followed him around, went into his house, etc. etc. etc., despite all of the above warning signs. Like...there wasn't trust between them, but there wasn't outward distrust or wariness either (more like just avoiding the elephants or, ahem, guns in the room), and that felt off to me. I just would've liked a bit more realism there is all.
_____________________________________
But anyway, that's how the story begins and how it proceeds is...eh, kind of typical and just as expected, to be honest, which is yet another reason for why I opted for a 4-star rather than a 5-star rating for this one. True, as soon as you know that something has that obvious Romeo and Juliet setup, you more or less know where the story is going, but at the same time you (or, more specifically, I) can't help but still hope that something unexpected might happen.
In a way, I guess that the ending of this book (which is a cliffy, by the way, and I'm not giving spoilers by saying that--just a friendly warning) does kind of do that, though to be honest it doesn't gear me up for finding out what happens in the sequel. I can more or less guess where it's going to go, and assume that there's a HEA at the end of the road.
_____________________________________
All in all and therefore, if someone asked me how I would classify this as a read, I'd definitely say that it has a lot of good moments and is compelling in that it's a pairing that you don't read about as often in contemporary romance; but, at the same time, it's nothing truly grand or spectacular, though I'm not sure if the author was ever aiming for it to be.
If this is your cup of tea in terms of romances and plot/setting, then for sure I'd recommend reading it. The writing is quite good and, again, it's a story that you don't see everywhere over and over again. Definitely worth a try if you're interested.
October 26, 2019
Going through my Kindle, I have been trying to clear the old ebooks off it and I came across Amber Hart's Until You Find Me. I remember reading her Before & After series and really enjoying it. Until You Find Me takes us into the African Jungle as Raven's father has died supposedly by the one thing he loved most in the world besides her. Raven's father had a desire to save the gorillas in Africa and started up along with his friend Chloe, a Habitat for the Gorillas. Just before he died, he called Raven and she put off visiting him. Now she is back in the jungle looking for meaning and why her Dad loved this place more than her and in some ways get some closure. On one of her first ventures out into the jungle, she is attacked by a gorilla and is near-death but eventually saved. Watching her in the shadows in Jospin - his father is in charge of one of the biggest Poacher organizations around. Which means his biggest enemy and threat was Raven's Dad. A few weeks later when Raven is ready to get up and move about again, she stumbles across Jospin and the pair share a connection, though nothing deep as they don't discuss each other's families, etc. The pair become close and near the middle of the book, Raven meets another Cameroonian- this time Clovis and learns that Clovis was his dad's secret confidante. Clovis starts to spend time with Raven also as she feels being with him makes her closer to her Dad. When trouble heats up fast in the jungle and Clovis and Jospin and Raven are all discovered, Raven feels betrayed as she learns who really killed her father and his connections to Clovis and Jospin. The book ended on a cliffhanger but not before giving us a glimpse that the next book will have Raven filled with Revenge towards the person who took her Dad away from her. I am now looking forward to moving on with the series and reading Book #2 and rooting for Raven. I have to admit though the one thing I hate about these sorts of books is that no-one actually talks to one another and a whole lot of pain and feelings could have been dealt with if they had just told the freaking truth.
October 6, 2014
*I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.
*Review can be found here.
I really, really enjoyed Before You by Amber Hart, so I was super stoked about reading this! I love that multiracial couples are an integral part of her stories, because you don't find many of them in books (or maybe I'm just reading the wrong ones). I think it's a good thing, indeed. And this was so good!
Rating: 4 Wild Stars!
This book was told in double POVs, which I absolutely love when it comes to my contemporaries. Actually, this is a bit of a romantic suspense book too, as the jungle holds many dangers and secrets. The two characters, a girl from America and a boy from the jungle, are forced to face truths they don't want to hear and left to reexamine what they thought they knew.
There is something unique about Amber Hart's writing style that I love. I enjoyed both of the main character's voices, even though it was a stream of consciousness pattern (sometimes that just doesn't work). But it worked very well, and it wasn't hard to switch back and forth between the two.
Raven Moore hates the jungle. She hates the gorillas at the habitat, and she doesn't like the people who work there. She's bitter, angry, determined to find whatever it is her father wanted her to know. She has a lot of built-up frustration and rage. She hated how the habitat and the gorillas stole her father from her. She didn't get as much time as she wanted with him, and Raven's too late to change anything. But throughout the story, Raven starts to realize that maybe she'd been too quick to hate the gorillas and the habitat. Maybe she'd been too angry to understand why her father wanted to protect them, too bitter because they stole his time and she didn't have nearly enough. I thought Raven was a strong character, and I didn't think she was misguided. I understood her anger and resentment, her determination to solve the mystery her father left her. She had such growth as a character, and I loved that.
Jospin Tondjii was born in the jungle, knows the ins and outs of one of most the dangerous places in the world. He knows its secrets and how to read every sound. He's been brought up in an illegal organization that hunts the gorillas and sells their meat on the black markets. It's a sophisticated organization that is run by the most ruthless businessman in Cameroon, his father. That's all he's known, and he understands that he'll take over the business someday. But he doesn't count on meeting an American girl who trips his world upside down. Through Raven, Jospin starts to question his life and all he's ever known. She interests him, intrigues him, this girl who can make weapons and doesn't fear the jungle. Jospin is a little rough around the edges and secretive, but he's protective with Raven. He also had great character development, as evidenced by his decision in the end.
These two characters came from completely different worlds, yet they formed a bond that was as strong as the jungle. They had such great chemistry! Their relationship was a little bit slow-burning, a little bit steamy, and a whole lot of fun to read about. It was a focus of the book, which I loved, because this is a contemporary romance. They both had preconceived notions about the worlds in which they live, both were keeping secrets from the other. But they developed a strong and genuine relationship even after everything that happened.
There were quite a few secondary characters, but only a couple of them that had developed backgrounds, which was okay! The romance had a lot of the focus, but I didn't mind. I loved Jospin's relationship with brothers, Clovis and Mattius. You could tell that they were best friends and had known each other a long time. Jospin and his father had a complex relationship, which is left hanging with that ending. There were a few people at the habitat, but only one who routinely talked to Raven (which wasn't for lack of trying). Raven had a great relationship with her parents, as evidenced by the many flashbacks and present-day phone calls she had with her mama.
This plot was really, really interesting. I adored the gorilla scenes, especially the one with Raven and Leahcim. He helped her overcome her anger at the animals and was the reason she could finally understand why her father built the habitat. At first, I wasn't sure how realistic and likely the plot of this story was. I know nothing about Africa, gorillas, and black market hunters. It was a different story-line for sure, but so very good. And it felt authentic. But hello, cliffhanger! I knew that Raven's and Jospin's story wouldn't be finished by the end of this, but what a horrible way to cut off the book! It just makes me want the sequel right now.
Until You Find Me was an intriguing and wild ride, full of danger, romance, and steam. It explored the jungles of Cameroon and brought to light the fight to save gorillas from becoming extinct. But it was also about a passionate love that defies the ordinary, with characters who had to learn that the lines between right and wrong are not so easily identified.
*Review can be found here.
I really, really enjoyed Before You by Amber Hart, so I was super stoked about reading this! I love that multiracial couples are an integral part of her stories, because you don't find many of them in books (or maybe I'm just reading the wrong ones). I think it's a good thing, indeed. And this was so good!
Rating: 4 Wild Stars!
This book was told in double POVs, which I absolutely love when it comes to my contemporaries. Actually, this is a bit of a romantic suspense book too, as the jungle holds many dangers and secrets. The two characters, a girl from America and a boy from the jungle, are forced to face truths they don't want to hear and left to reexamine what they thought they knew.
There is something unique about Amber Hart's writing style that I love. I enjoyed both of the main character's voices, even though it was a stream of consciousness pattern (sometimes that just doesn't work). But it worked very well, and it wasn't hard to switch back and forth between the two.
Raven Moore hates the jungle. She hates the gorillas at the habitat, and she doesn't like the people who work there. She's bitter, angry, determined to find whatever it is her father wanted her to know. She has a lot of built-up frustration and rage. She hated how the habitat and the gorillas stole her father from her. She didn't get as much time as she wanted with him, and Raven's too late to change anything. But throughout the story, Raven starts to realize that maybe she'd been too quick to hate the gorillas and the habitat. Maybe she'd been too angry to understand why her father wanted to protect them, too bitter because they stole his time and she didn't have nearly enough. I thought Raven was a strong character, and I didn't think she was misguided. I understood her anger and resentment, her determination to solve the mystery her father left her. She had such growth as a character, and I loved that.
Jospin Tondjii was born in the jungle, knows the ins and outs of one of most the dangerous places in the world. He knows its secrets and how to read every sound. He's been brought up in an illegal organization that hunts the gorillas and sells their meat on the black markets. It's a sophisticated organization that is run by the most ruthless businessman in Cameroon, his father. That's all he's known, and he understands that he'll take over the business someday. But he doesn't count on meeting an American girl who trips his world upside down. Through Raven, Jospin starts to question his life and all he's ever known. She interests him, intrigues him, this girl who can make weapons and doesn't fear the jungle. Jospin is a little rough around the edges and secretive, but he's protective with Raven. He also had great character development, as evidenced by his decision in the end.
These two characters came from completely different worlds, yet they formed a bond that was as strong as the jungle. They had such great chemistry! Their relationship was a little bit slow-burning, a little bit steamy, and a whole lot of fun to read about. It was a focus of the book, which I loved, because this is a contemporary romance. They both had preconceived notions about the worlds in which they live, both were keeping secrets from the other. But they developed a strong and genuine relationship even after everything that happened.
There were quite a few secondary characters, but only a couple of them that had developed backgrounds, which was okay! The romance had a lot of the focus, but I didn't mind. I loved Jospin's relationship with brothers, Clovis and Mattius. You could tell that they were best friends and had known each other a long time. Jospin and his father had a complex relationship, which is left hanging with that ending. There were a few people at the habitat, but only one who routinely talked to Raven (which wasn't for lack of trying). Raven had a great relationship with her parents, as evidenced by the many flashbacks and present-day phone calls she had with her mama.
This plot was really, really interesting. I adored the gorilla scenes, especially the one with Raven and Leahcim. He helped her overcome her anger at the animals and was the reason she could finally understand why her father built the habitat. At first, I wasn't sure how realistic and likely the plot of this story was. I know nothing about Africa, gorillas, and black market hunters. It was a different story-line for sure, but so very good. And it felt authentic. But hello, cliffhanger! I knew that Raven's and Jospin's story wouldn't be finished by the end of this, but what a horrible way to cut off the book! It just makes me want the sequel right now.
Until You Find Me was an intriguing and wild ride, full of danger, romance, and steam. It explored the jungles of Cameroon and brought to light the fight to save gorillas from becoming extinct. But it was also about a passionate love that defies the ordinary, with characters who had to learn that the lines between right and wrong are not so easily identified.
November 24, 2014
** JOSIE'S 5 STAR REVIEW **
I am not even sure how to describe what I am feeling after reading this book. It was powerful and the topic discussed is a topic that is real today. I wasn’t prepared to feel all these emotions while I was reading this book. Yes I read the blurb but it doesn’t prepare you for what you are about to read. The author did an amazing job with the plot and characters in this story. I actually felt like I was in the African jungle and experiencing and feeling the same things Raven and Jospin were. Please take note that poaching of apes and other wild animals is in fact happening and you will feel an intense anger and sadness when reading this story. Until You Find Me was beautifully and remarkable written. It was refreshing and interesting and held me captive from start to finish.
Raven travels to Africa after her father’s death. She goes there in search of answers. What was it that happened to her father? She is angry and hurt that her father spent his life in Cameroon working on a habitant for apes. What is it about Africa and the apes that she felt like she needed to be there instead of being with her mother? After a few weeks there she is attacked by an ape. Instead of going home she stays. She is determined to find out why her father wanted her to come for summers. Raven needs to know why he died, there has to be a good reason and she believes the jungle is hiding the answers.
Jospin is the heir to the largest poaching family in Cameroon. Their pack is the largest in that region. While out in the jungle he hears screams and he goes to see what has happened. When he finally sees the source of the blood curdling screams he is captivated by the beautiful blonde. Seeing that she is being tended to by workers of the habitat workers and that the dangerous ape has been dealt with he stays hidden. Jospin’s father is the pack leader, he is dominant and to the point. There is no room for outsiders or mistakes, he knows Raven would be in danger by being with him, but he cannot seem to turn away.
Raven is given her father’s journals and as she reads them, she discovers there is something the jungle is hiding and just how truly dangerous the jungle can be. Raven and Jospin begin to spend time together as Jospin helps Raven learn to survive in the jungle. He teaches her how to make a knife, fight and how to shoot a gun. They are both attracted to each other and find they will make up any excuse to see one another regardless of the dangers surrounding them.
“I’m going to touch you. It’s the only way to explain us together. Okay? I need to touch you. We can’t talk here now that someone’s spotted us.”
“I need to tell you something. And when I tell you, I need you to remain calm. Do not run. Do not scream. We are bit the only ones in the jungle today.”
Although Raven is trying to figure out the real mystery of her father’s death she finds comfort and love in Jospin. Jospin knows he should stay away from Raven but he feels this overwhelming power to claim her as his and he will risk it all to have her.
“I need to know. Tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“Have you been with anyone else? A Habitat worker? Or anyone else?”
“No”
“Be mine, Raven?”
“Be yours? As in, belong to you?”
“Only me. I wanted you for so long, Raven. So very, very long. From the first day I saw you. Maybe that’s wrong, because you were injured, but even then I saw how beautiful you were. Are. You took a piece of me then, beyond just my weapon.”
I wasn’t sure where the author was going to go with this story but as I read on it only got more interesting. We see Raven’s character grow throughout the story. She develops relationships with the apes, one in particular, Leahcim. When the truth behind Raven’s father’s death is revealed it is more than Jospin and Raven can handle. Raven and Jospin are both left to deal with the betrayal and dangers of the jungle. Can Raven survive the truth about her father’s death? Will Jospin and Raven’s love be able to withstand the dangers of the jungle or will the jungle claim two more?
As I stated in the beginning of this review, the author did an amazing job and I loved every facet of this book. All the dangers of the jungle, the excitement, the self-discovery between Jospin and Raven. I loved the relationship between them and how their relationship progressed over time. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I want to see what other dangers the jungle of Cameroon hill hold.
I am not even sure how to describe what I am feeling after reading this book. It was powerful and the topic discussed is a topic that is real today. I wasn’t prepared to feel all these emotions while I was reading this book. Yes I read the blurb but it doesn’t prepare you for what you are about to read. The author did an amazing job with the plot and characters in this story. I actually felt like I was in the African jungle and experiencing and feeling the same things Raven and Jospin were. Please take note that poaching of apes and other wild animals is in fact happening and you will feel an intense anger and sadness when reading this story. Until You Find Me was beautifully and remarkable written. It was refreshing and interesting and held me captive from start to finish.
Raven travels to Africa after her father’s death. She goes there in search of answers. What was it that happened to her father? She is angry and hurt that her father spent his life in Cameroon working on a habitant for apes. What is it about Africa and the apes that she felt like she needed to be there instead of being with her mother? After a few weeks there she is attacked by an ape. Instead of going home she stays. She is determined to find out why her father wanted her to come for summers. Raven needs to know why he died, there has to be a good reason and she believes the jungle is hiding the answers.
Jospin is the heir to the largest poaching family in Cameroon. Their pack is the largest in that region. While out in the jungle he hears screams and he goes to see what has happened. When he finally sees the source of the blood curdling screams he is captivated by the beautiful blonde. Seeing that she is being tended to by workers of the habitat workers and that the dangerous ape has been dealt with he stays hidden. Jospin’s father is the pack leader, he is dominant and to the point. There is no room for outsiders or mistakes, he knows Raven would be in danger by being with him, but he cannot seem to turn away.
Raven is given her father’s journals and as she reads them, she discovers there is something the jungle is hiding and just how truly dangerous the jungle can be. Raven and Jospin begin to spend time together as Jospin helps Raven learn to survive in the jungle. He teaches her how to make a knife, fight and how to shoot a gun. They are both attracted to each other and find they will make up any excuse to see one another regardless of the dangers surrounding them.
“I’m going to touch you. It’s the only way to explain us together. Okay? I need to touch you. We can’t talk here now that someone’s spotted us.”
“I need to tell you something. And when I tell you, I need you to remain calm. Do not run. Do not scream. We are bit the only ones in the jungle today.”
Although Raven is trying to figure out the real mystery of her father’s death she finds comfort and love in Jospin. Jospin knows he should stay away from Raven but he feels this overwhelming power to claim her as his and he will risk it all to have her.
“I need to know. Tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“Have you been with anyone else? A Habitat worker? Or anyone else?”
“No”
“Be mine, Raven?”
“Be yours? As in, belong to you?”
“Only me. I wanted you for so long, Raven. So very, very long. From the first day I saw you. Maybe that’s wrong, because you were injured, but even then I saw how beautiful you were. Are. You took a piece of me then, beyond just my weapon.”
I wasn’t sure where the author was going to go with this story but as I read on it only got more interesting. We see Raven’s character grow throughout the story. She develops relationships with the apes, one in particular, Leahcim. When the truth behind Raven’s father’s death is revealed it is more than Jospin and Raven can handle. Raven and Jospin are both left to deal with the betrayal and dangers of the jungle. Can Raven survive the truth about her father’s death? Will Jospin and Raven’s love be able to withstand the dangers of the jungle or will the jungle claim two more?
As I stated in the beginning of this review, the author did an amazing job and I loved every facet of this book. All the dangers of the jungle, the excitement, the self-discovery between Jospin and Raven. I loved the relationship between them and how their relationship progressed over time. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I want to see what other dangers the jungle of Cameroon hill hold.
September 24, 2015
I need to start off by saying this was my first read by Amber Hart, so although the book was clearly tagged as a romance I was utterly confused when I started reading it and it was all about Africa, poaching, and a Habitat for Gorillas. I actually went back to make sure I didn't read the tags wrong but it clearly said Contemporary Romance so I pushed on wondering where this was going to lead, because after a Gorilla attack in the first chapter it has to lead to a better place...right? Where it lead was where fate wanted to lead you too. This was an amazingly beautiful story about two people so different from one another finding love in the African Jungle. Jospin is the son of the biggest poacher in the area and heir to his empire, Raven is the daughter of the man that founded Heart for Habitat, while neither knows the truth of who the other is they form a bond and begin seeing each other in secret. This book was just much more than the romance between Jospin and Raven, it pulled me in so deeply I felt as if I was running through the African Jungle along with them, I was seeing the Gorillas just as they were, and I was feeling the heat from the Jungle as well as from the chemistry that was burning up when Jospin and Raven were together.
There is a part of the book when Raven is thinking about Fate, and I usually don't quote from ARCs because the can be changed but I liked this saying so much I am going to quote it anyway and I really, really hope it is in the finally copy. "Fate walks around with a giant needle and thread, deciding whom it wants to sew together. Then Fate makes a puncture with that needle, so soft that most people never even feel it - not until Fate decides it's time to yank the strings"
This book ends with a bit of a cliff hanger so I am off to read the next book Captured By You to see what happens next.
***I have received this book from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept through netgalley in exchange for my honest review*** https://www.netgalley.com/
There is a part of the book when Raven is thinking about Fate, and I usually don't quote from ARCs because the can be changed but I liked this saying so much I am going to quote it anyway and I really, really hope it is in the finally copy. "Fate walks around with a giant needle and thread, deciding whom it wants to sew together. Then Fate makes a puncture with that needle, so soft that most people never even feel it - not until Fate decides it's time to yank the strings"
This book ends with a bit of a cliff hanger so I am off to read the next book Captured By You to see what happens next.
***I have received this book from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept through netgalley in exchange for my honest review*** https://www.netgalley.com/
October 22, 2015
Full review at GenGen's Book Blog
I received an eARC in exchange for my honest review
I found a new love: gorillas. This story isn't only about finding love in a jungle. It also includes how gorillas interact with humans and what they are capable of doing and I really enjoyed reading those scenes.
Raven travels to Africa to find answers about what had happened to her dad. She lives in the habitat where dad worked and one day in the jungle, she meets Jospin and he offers to show her how to throw knives. They create a friendship but they know they have feelings for one another, very forbidden feelings because Jospin is a poacher, someone who kills gorillas and sells the gorilla meat and Raven is growing fond of these gorillas. And then Raven makes a discovery that will seriously destroy their world.
My experience was gratifying. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It started off with a slow pace but it kept building up and up until the intensity crushed me. There is a character that stood out most to me and that was Clovis. I can't say why or it will be a spoiler but this is a character that you will learn to love.
I love how Raven was so fascinated with Leahcim (Lee-eh-kim). Leahcim is a very smart and stubborn gorilla and he singles out Raven. It's like he knows he can trust her. They discovered one another when Raven was painting one day and Leahcim was sat in behind the crystal wall where the gorillas are kept and he got mud on his fingers and started painting on the crystal wall what Raven and painted. Raven was mesmerized by this but she didn't want to get attached to gorillas. After all, they are terrible creatures or so she thought. Later on, Raven gets to spend more time with Leahcim and their time together is simply magnificent.
The romance is spot on. Raven and Jospin...you can cut the sexual attraction in the air with a knife. I was so happy when they got together plus it had that steamy scene, which was wonderfully written and it wasn't too much. It was just...perfect.
I thought this was going to be part of a series but could be read as a stand-alone...I was mistaken. I kept glancing at the percentage. When I was at 98%, I thought "no, it can't end like it is going to" but it did. That being said, it does end in a cliff-hanger but it definitely motivates the reader to pick up the second book as soon as it comes out. There will be revenge in that second book and I can't wait to read all about it.
This review was first published at GenGen's Book Blog
I received an eARC in exchange for my honest review
I found a new love: gorillas. This story isn't only about finding love in a jungle. It also includes how gorillas interact with humans and what they are capable of doing and I really enjoyed reading those scenes.
Raven travels to Africa to find answers about what had happened to her dad. She lives in the habitat where dad worked and one day in the jungle, she meets Jospin and he offers to show her how to throw knives. They create a friendship but they know they have feelings for one another, very forbidden feelings because Jospin is a poacher, someone who kills gorillas and sells the gorilla meat and Raven is growing fond of these gorillas. And then Raven makes a discovery that will seriously destroy their world.
My experience was gratifying. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It started off with a slow pace but it kept building up and up until the intensity crushed me. There is a character that stood out most to me and that was Clovis. I can't say why or it will be a spoiler but this is a character that you will learn to love.
I love how Raven was so fascinated with Leahcim (Lee-eh-kim). Leahcim is a very smart and stubborn gorilla and he singles out Raven. It's like he knows he can trust her. They discovered one another when Raven was painting one day and Leahcim was sat in behind the crystal wall where the gorillas are kept and he got mud on his fingers and started painting on the crystal wall what Raven and painted. Raven was mesmerized by this but she didn't want to get attached to gorillas. After all, they are terrible creatures or so she thought. Later on, Raven gets to spend more time with Leahcim and their time together is simply magnificent.
The romance is spot on. Raven and Jospin...you can cut the sexual attraction in the air with a knife. I was so happy when they got together plus it had that steamy scene, which was wonderfully written and it wasn't too much. It was just...perfect.
I thought this was going to be part of a series but could be read as a stand-alone...I was mistaken. I kept glancing at the percentage. When I was at 98%, I thought "no, it can't end like it is going to" but it did. That being said, it does end in a cliff-hanger but it definitely motivates the reader to pick up the second book as soon as it comes out. There will be revenge in that second book and I can't wait to read all about it.
This review was first published at GenGen's Book Blog
November 28, 2014
Original review can be found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an ARC from Random House Flirt via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Anyone that reads my reviews knows that the new adult genre is my guilty pleasure reading. I have to say that Until You Find Me breaks the mold a little bit. You will not find a college dorm setting with brooding students and pasts that create angst and drama. Instead you are dropped into an African rainforest and introduced to all kinds of danger and suspense. Of course there is still an opposites attract theme and a sexy leading man but it is so much bigger than two people hooking up.
Raven goes to the jungles of Cameroon to the habitat that her father devoted his life to saving gorillas. She harbours a lot of resentment to the place that she feels stole her father from her and doesn't understand why he wanted her there. He is dead and can't give her the answers but she is determined to find out. Shortly after arriving she is attacked by the very animal that her father was determined to save and her resentment grows. While recovering, she meets Jospin and there is an instant attraction. He is a native of the jungle and unbenounced to her, the heir of a dangerous and powerful poaching clan that kills the gorillas that her father died trying to save.
I loved the setting of this book and enjoyed getting to know the characters. The story is told from both Raven and Jospin's point of view which I really liked. Hart's writing style flows nicely which made the pages fly by and I was able to finish it in a few short hours. With the mystery, suspense, jungle, gorilla's and the steamy romantic aspect I was glued to the pages. I do have to warn you that there is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end that made me want to throw my tablet across the room. I may have even muttered a few explicit words. I want to know what happens next. I need to know what happens next! As far as I can tell from my frantic search, the sequel is still untitled and expected out sometime in 2015. I can't wait to find out how the story will play out.
I thoroughly enjoyed Raven and Jospin's journey and I think I have found myself a new author to follow. I am sure that fans of new adult will enjoy this story that digs a little deeper than what is typical of the genre.
I received an ARC from Random House Flirt via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Anyone that reads my reviews knows that the new adult genre is my guilty pleasure reading. I have to say that Until You Find Me breaks the mold a little bit. You will not find a college dorm setting with brooding students and pasts that create angst and drama. Instead you are dropped into an African rainforest and introduced to all kinds of danger and suspense. Of course there is still an opposites attract theme and a sexy leading man but it is so much bigger than two people hooking up.
Raven goes to the jungles of Cameroon to the habitat that her father devoted his life to saving gorillas. She harbours a lot of resentment to the place that she feels stole her father from her and doesn't understand why he wanted her there. He is dead and can't give her the answers but she is determined to find out. Shortly after arriving she is attacked by the very animal that her father was determined to save and her resentment grows. While recovering, she meets Jospin and there is an instant attraction. He is a native of the jungle and unbenounced to her, the heir of a dangerous and powerful poaching clan that kills the gorillas that her father died trying to save.
I loved the setting of this book and enjoyed getting to know the characters. The story is told from both Raven and Jospin's point of view which I really liked. Hart's writing style flows nicely which made the pages fly by and I was able to finish it in a few short hours. With the mystery, suspense, jungle, gorilla's and the steamy romantic aspect I was glued to the pages. I do have to warn you that there is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end that made me want to throw my tablet across the room. I may have even muttered a few explicit words. I want to know what happens next. I need to know what happens next! As far as I can tell from my frantic search, the sequel is still untitled and expected out sometime in 2015. I can't wait to find out how the story will play out.
I thoroughly enjoyed Raven and Jospin's journey and I think I have found myself a new author to follow. I am sure that fans of new adult will enjoy this story that digs a little deeper than what is typical of the genre.
October 29, 2014
This was an incredibly grown-up NEW ADULT book. I have read quite a few N/A books lately that have just made me feel old with the way the characters talk and act. UNTIL YOU FIND ME is unbelievably mature and intelligent. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.
Raven finds herself in the jungles of Africa searching for answers as to why her father literally gave his life for the gorillas who took it from him. Raven is only in Africa a few days when she is viciously attacked by a Silver Back, one of the largest and meanest gorillas in the area. Determined not to give up her life to the jungle that took her father from her, Raven begins looking for help and answers to what went wrong.
Jospin is a poacher and heir to the largest poaching empire around. From afar, he witnesses the gorilla attack on Raven. A few weeks later when she returns to the jungle, Jospin can't resist approaching her. Although he doesn't divulge his identity and secrets, Jospin begins helping and trusting Raven.
The jungle holds many dangers, the least of which is the animals. Jospin's father is a ruthless man who will gladly murder rather than let someone stand in the way his making money. Rival poachers have been seen in the area causing trouble and stealing some of the animals that should 'belong' to Jospin and his father.
For Raven, the biggest danger is losing her heart to a boy who is everything her father stood against.
So why didn't it get 5 stars? Well, it was written in first person present tense and it is just not my personal preference. It became confusing when Raven would have flashbacks and they were still in the present tense.
UNTIL YOU FIND ME has the heat of a New Adult novel and includes the thrill of mystery and danger. It is thought-provoking and I highly enjoyed it.
December 1, 2014
When I discovered that Until You Find Me would be set in Africa, I was thrilled because most of us are always on the look-out for more diversity in books. Then the cover came out and I knew I was going to read it because it had an interracial couple in it. While I enjoyed Until You Find Me overall, there were some elements that I wish had been more developed. For one, the characters. We do get to know the two main characters in the book quite a bit, but part of me wanted more. I wanted to be able to form a more emotional connection with them which never really happened. I never understood their motivations which ended up hindering my enjoyment of the book. Secondly, the romance. Because of my inability to connect with the characters, I was also unable to connect with the romance in any way. It was a little too fast for my liking, felt a little too lusty and the secret-keeping, more on Jospin's side, was a little infuriating. It's one of those things I have a hard time tolerating in books. What I did love in the book was the implementation of the gorillas. I actually loved the gorilla scenes more than the romance and part of me felt like the gorillas needed more spotlight on them. I would honestly have loved to have more scenes between Raven and this one specific gorilla because they were very emotional. However, that part of the plot got rather drowned by the romance. The book also ended in a cliffhanger. It wasn't horrible, but I felt like whatever the author wants to explore in the next book could have been done through this book, especially because it's short. Nevertheless, Amber Hart has a very intense writing style that grips you from the very start and I'll most definitely be reading the next book.
November 20, 2014
This ARC was graciously provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel honored to have been given a chance to have read this book. The chemistry and the relationship between these characters was so dynamic and real. I loved the challenges that each of them had to face as well as what they had to face with eachother. The dual POV’s made this book even more amazing as well as the flashbacks. I really loved how this author made you see both sides to each argument. Such as when Raven hated the gorillas and why. This made for an even better read for when she was able to start to understand why her dad did what he did.
I loved Jospin. He is by far my favorite hero by far. The love he had for Raven was amazing. He was such an alpha and made me swoon when he was explaining exactly why he wanted to be with her. His love for his family and Raven were so strong it made me want to go to the jungle and find my own jungle boy.
When I got to the last page and realized that it was over I kept tapping my kindle wanting it to continue. Though I usually hate cliffhangers I was left at a place where I’m completely anticipating the next book but at the same time I really liked where the author left us in this one. I will definitely be looking forward for the release date on the next book. This author has a fan for life and I can’t wait to see what kind of journey she takes us on next.
I feel honored to have been given a chance to have read this book. The chemistry and the relationship between these characters was so dynamic and real. I loved the challenges that each of them had to face as well as what they had to face with eachother. The dual POV’s made this book even more amazing as well as the flashbacks. I really loved how this author made you see both sides to each argument. Such as when Raven hated the gorillas and why. This made for an even better read for when she was able to start to understand why her dad did what he did.
I loved Jospin. He is by far my favorite hero by far. The love he had for Raven was amazing. He was such an alpha and made me swoon when he was explaining exactly why he wanted to be with her. His love for his family and Raven were so strong it made me want to go to the jungle and find my own jungle boy.
When I got to the last page and realized that it was over I kept tapping my kindle wanting it to continue. Though I usually hate cliffhangers I was left at a place where I’m completely anticipating the next book but at the same time I really liked where the author left us in this one. I will definitely be looking forward for the release date on the next book. This author has a fan for life and I can’t wait to see what kind of journey she takes us on next.
October 9, 2014
What a great adventure! I always appreciate when a New Adult book breaks from the norm of college dorms and frat parties, and this one did just that. It takes place in Africa, in the middle of the jungle. A young, naive girl from the states meets a local dangerous boy, and their intensity is off the charts. It starts out innocent, just spending time together learning about the jungle but the heat between them is hard to ignore. They keep their secrets from each other until it all comes to a head at the end. There is a definite cliffhanger here that I should have seen coming because as I kept looking at the page count, I knew there was no way the book could be resolved that quickly but was still shocked to have it be over. I need to know what happens! Like Now!!!
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as 'to-read-i-own'
May 3, 2015OMG, this book could not sound any more epic even if it TRIED! CANNOT wait for this release!
Merged review:
OMG IT HAS A COVER!!!! Seriously CANNOT wait for this to come out, it sounds sooooooo so good! (:
Merged review:
OMG IT HAS A COVER!!!! Seriously CANNOT wait for this to come out, it sounds sooooooo so good! (:
November 9, 2014
Until You Find Me by Amber Hart
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Expected Release Date: November 11th 2014
Print Length: 270 pages
Format: Kindle eArc
Via tour host
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
***Warning Cliffhanger***
This is a book that breaks away from the New Adult norm, it’s a very different and very unique story. Sometimes I read so many books with similar themes that some of them just start to blend together and I was in the mood for something different. I really needed a book like this and I absolutely loved every single word of it.
Raven travels deep into the jungles of the Cameroon rain forest, she is there for one reason and one reason only. She wants answers. She needs to know why all those years ago her father chose to go there and start a sanctuary for Gorillas. Why he had to move halfway around the world to be with them , instead of with her and her mother. It was a decision that in the end cost him his life. There are so many questions left unanswered and so many things about his life there that Raven needs to know. She has never been able to accept the choice he made to go to Cameroon. Once she finds out the truth behind his death she will leave and never come back to this awful place or to the gorillas she has always hated so much.
“I will hold it together. I will get answers. And I will leave this horrible, haunting place and never look back”
Raven is only in Africa for a very short time when she decides to go into the jungle alone and a silver back gorilla viciously attacks her. Most people do not survive an attack like that but Raven does and so now she is more determined to not let the jungle take her life like it took her fathers.
“I can’t believe the monster who is about to take my life is the very creature my dad died trying to protect”
Jospin grew up in the jungles of Cameroon .He is the heir to one of the biggest and wealthiest poaching empires in the rain forest, killing gorillas and selling off their meat is the only life he has ever known. Though he has secretly grown to want more. When he hears the roar of silver back followed by gut wrenching screams of a girl he goes as quickly as he can. That’s when he sees Raven for the first time, she is broken and barely breathing. There is so much blood but even through all that he is immediately drawn to her. Who is she and more importantly why is she in the jungle alone. But he doesn’t go to her and try to help because habitat workers are already tending her to and he can’t risk them recognizing him.
“I don’t know about this girl who possesses weapons and survives a gorilla attack that could maim grown men and squeezes my heart without ever laying a hand on it”
It has only been a month since her attack when Jospin sees Raven in the rain forest. He can’t believe she survived and he is even more surprised when he sees she is training or trying to train on how to use a knife. Habitat workers aren’t supposed to have weapons, so who is this girl and what is she doing in Cameroon? So he approaches her and offers to help her learn how to make and use weapons. They start spending more and more time together, making weapons and training. Jospin has no idea why she needs these weapons and he doesn’t ask because he has secrets he needs to keep hidden from her as well. There is no way he can let her find out he is a poacher. Raven knows Jospin is hiding something, his home is full of weapons and when his friends show up he hides her from them. He says it’s to keep her safe so she doesn’t question it. Their feelings towards one another start to grow quickly. Though Jospin tries to fight his feelings for Raven because he knows if his father or anyone else found out about her that her life would be in danger. But Jospin is fighting a losing battle and the two fall in love.
“I think I’m the luckiest man to be wanted by you. I want you to be mine only, because I can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you. I don’t know how to deal with that possibility. I want you to know that I’ve never asked anyone to be mine, and maybe that’s not saying a lot to you, but in my world it’s everything.”
As the story goes on and Raven begins to change, she begins to find herself deep in the Cameroon rain forest. She has always been so angry, hating the gorillas for taking her father away from her and her mother. Being angry with her father for choosing to be there when he should have been with his family. Raven has refused to go into the sanctuary where the rescued gorillas are kept since her attack. But one day that changes and she has an encounter with a gorilla that no other habitat worker has even been able to get to eat. He shows her that he is not just an animal, that he to has emotions and a story to tell. He doesn’t harm her and the two form a bond, he helps her heal. She starts to let go of the hate she has felt towards gorillas and she begins to understand why her father chose to help them.
“Leahcim traces a finger in the dirt. The picture he makes looks like a human face, I think. It’s hard to tell. My eyes flick from the ground to him,wary.
Then he does something that makes my throat pinch and my eyes burn.
He points to me. Slowly, as if he doesn’t mean to be frightening. Then to the picture. Then to me again. He’s drawing me.”
This was a fantastic book. The story was told in a dual point of view and I loved getting to see both sides, to know in depth what each of them was feeling. The chemistry between Raven and Jospin was crazy intense. Raven was a fantastic character and her growth in this story was amazing. I have to admit I sort of wanted to hate Jospin, after all look what he does. But after getting to know him I just couldn’t hate him, I hated what he did but not him as a person. Jospin didn’t choose to be a poacher, he was born into that life. But Raven showed him that it’s ok to want something more for yourself. One of my absolute favorite parts of the book were the scenes with Raven and Leahcim. You can tell the author really cares about Gorillas and that this cause, to stop poachers is something she strongly believes in. I don’t know anything about the rainforest or really about gorillas at all. Let alone about poachers. I remember watching Gorillas In The Mist and learning about Dian Fossey but that is the extent of what I know. So this is one of the reasons I love Amber Hart’s writing so much. She is so descriptive in her stories, she gave us so much and really pulled us right into Cameroon.
I didn’t like that it ended in such a cliffhanger, yes this is the first book in the series but damn it I wanted more. And I don’t want to wait. I know I’m selfish, oh well I can’t help it.
Reviewed by Stephanie The Book Hooker
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Expected Release Date: November 11th 2014
Print Length: 270 pages
Format: Kindle eArc
Via tour host
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
***Warning Cliffhanger***
This is a book that breaks away from the New Adult norm, it’s a very different and very unique story. Sometimes I read so many books with similar themes that some of them just start to blend together and I was in the mood for something different. I really needed a book like this and I absolutely loved every single word of it.
Raven travels deep into the jungles of the Cameroon rain forest, she is there for one reason and one reason only. She wants answers. She needs to know why all those years ago her father chose to go there and start a sanctuary for Gorillas. Why he had to move halfway around the world to be with them , instead of with her and her mother. It was a decision that in the end cost him his life. There are so many questions left unanswered and so many things about his life there that Raven needs to know. She has never been able to accept the choice he made to go to Cameroon. Once she finds out the truth behind his death she will leave and never come back to this awful place or to the gorillas she has always hated so much.
“I will hold it together. I will get answers. And I will leave this horrible, haunting place and never look back”
Raven is only in Africa for a very short time when she decides to go into the jungle alone and a silver back gorilla viciously attacks her. Most people do not survive an attack like that but Raven does and so now she is more determined to not let the jungle take her life like it took her fathers.
“I can’t believe the monster who is about to take my life is the very creature my dad died trying to protect”
Jospin grew up in the jungles of Cameroon .He is the heir to one of the biggest and wealthiest poaching empires in the rain forest, killing gorillas and selling off their meat is the only life he has ever known. Though he has secretly grown to want more. When he hears the roar of silver back followed by gut wrenching screams of a girl he goes as quickly as he can. That’s when he sees Raven for the first time, she is broken and barely breathing. There is so much blood but even through all that he is immediately drawn to her. Who is she and more importantly why is she in the jungle alone. But he doesn’t go to her and try to help because habitat workers are already tending her to and he can’t risk them recognizing him.
“I don’t know about this girl who possesses weapons and survives a gorilla attack that could maim grown men and squeezes my heart without ever laying a hand on it”
It has only been a month since her attack when Jospin sees Raven in the rain forest. He can’t believe she survived and he is even more surprised when he sees she is training or trying to train on how to use a knife. Habitat workers aren’t supposed to have weapons, so who is this girl and what is she doing in Cameroon? So he approaches her and offers to help her learn how to make and use weapons. They start spending more and more time together, making weapons and training. Jospin has no idea why she needs these weapons and he doesn’t ask because he has secrets he needs to keep hidden from her as well. There is no way he can let her find out he is a poacher. Raven knows Jospin is hiding something, his home is full of weapons and when his friends show up he hides her from them. He says it’s to keep her safe so she doesn’t question it. Their feelings towards one another start to grow quickly. Though Jospin tries to fight his feelings for Raven because he knows if his father or anyone else found out about her that her life would be in danger. But Jospin is fighting a losing battle and the two fall in love.
“I think I’m the luckiest man to be wanted by you. I want you to be mine only, because I can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you. I don’t know how to deal with that possibility. I want you to know that I’ve never asked anyone to be mine, and maybe that’s not saying a lot to you, but in my world it’s everything.”
As the story goes on and Raven begins to change, she begins to find herself deep in the Cameroon rain forest. She has always been so angry, hating the gorillas for taking her father away from her and her mother. Being angry with her father for choosing to be there when he should have been with his family. Raven has refused to go into the sanctuary where the rescued gorillas are kept since her attack. But one day that changes and she has an encounter with a gorilla that no other habitat worker has even been able to get to eat. He shows her that he is not just an animal, that he to has emotions and a story to tell. He doesn’t harm her and the two form a bond, he helps her heal. She starts to let go of the hate she has felt towards gorillas and she begins to understand why her father chose to help them.
“Leahcim traces a finger in the dirt. The picture he makes looks like a human face, I think. It’s hard to tell. My eyes flick from the ground to him,wary.
Then he does something that makes my throat pinch and my eyes burn.
He points to me. Slowly, as if he doesn’t mean to be frightening. Then to the picture. Then to me again. He’s drawing me.”
This was a fantastic book. The story was told in a dual point of view and I loved getting to see both sides, to know in depth what each of them was feeling. The chemistry between Raven and Jospin was crazy intense. Raven was a fantastic character and her growth in this story was amazing. I have to admit I sort of wanted to hate Jospin, after all look what he does. But after getting to know him I just couldn’t hate him, I hated what he did but not him as a person. Jospin didn’t choose to be a poacher, he was born into that life. But Raven showed him that it’s ok to want something more for yourself. One of my absolute favorite parts of the book were the scenes with Raven and Leahcim. You can tell the author really cares about Gorillas and that this cause, to stop poachers is something she strongly believes in. I don’t know anything about the rainforest or really about gorillas at all. Let alone about poachers. I remember watching Gorillas In The Mist and learning about Dian Fossey but that is the extent of what I know. So this is one of the reasons I love Amber Hart’s writing so much. She is so descriptive in her stories, she gave us so much and really pulled us right into Cameroon.
I didn’t like that it ended in such a cliffhanger, yes this is the first book in the series but damn it I wanted more. And I don’t want to wait. I know I’m selfish, oh well I can’t help it.
Reviewed by Stephanie The Book Hooker
November 10, 2014
Until You Find Me is an electrifyingly exquisite thriller that will run away with your heart and keep you on the edge-of-your-seat. This story touched my heart in a very remarkable way than any other book ever has. It drew me in with its raw pain, held me captive by its ravishing passion, and won me over with its stunning beauty. This is not just another romantic suspense story. It is a soul-searching journey of two disillusioned and hurting people who find themselves locked into an existence that they no longer recognize. Pulled together by fate, they much decide if their unusual yet powerful love is strong enough to outlive the lies and secrets that surround and bind them. When the heart finds its over half, God help those who stand in its way.
Raven has lived her whole life with a gaping hole in her heart where her father should have been. She longed for the day when he would stay with them and just vacation to his work in Africa. This dream faded a little more with each passing year until it disappeared entirely. With the tragic passing of her father, she is left in terrible pain as she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. In an effort to discover the truth that she knows is within her grasp, she travels to her father’s workplace in the heart of the jungle to find the pieces of her heart that her father took with him. What she discovers throughout her journey is so much more than she ever expected. Not only does she learn the truths that her father longed for her to unearth, but the passion that drove her father transforms her heart and brings her to life in the most unlikely of places. Jospin should have turned her away when he found her on his property. He should have closed his heart off to her when he saw the same broken spirit and searing pain deep within her eyes. He should have done a lot of things differently, but he didn’t. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t block her out or turn her away. She touched his heart and soul like no other person ever had, and he couldn’t stay away no matter how much he knew her life depended on it. It was useless because he was hooked and like an addict, his heart demanded his Raven fix. Did fate truly command the destiny of these two star-crossed lovers, or would they forge their own path in life? Would their love be strong enough to stand up against the raging torrent that threatens to tear them apart forever, or will it be ripped to shreds and disappear forever just like her father?
The blurb of this book and its breath-taking cover really caught my eye for some reason, and I am so glad that it did. I was truly blown away by this stunning masterpiece. The story wasn’t diluted with strong undercurrents of personal mantras, but it gently and sincerely offered a heart-wrenching view of life in the jungle. To view this world through the eyes of a broken person allowed for truths and facts to be conveyed in a very non-threatening but powerful way. The characters of Raven, Jospin, Clovis and others breathed life and heart into this incredibly brilliant story. The connections that were created and especially those that had always been silently binding both Raven and Jospin left my mind reeling with astonishment and awe. The wonderfully wicked twists and turns that came along kept me second guessing myself and left me utterly speechless. My heart was so caught up in this gripping and emotional story that I ended up reading it in one sitting. I simply couldn’t get enough of it, and I truly hated to see it end. However, I can’t wait to see what happens next because there is no way that Raven will give up so easily on everything that she has come to discover and love about her jungle.
This is the first book that I have read by Amber Hart, and I promise you that it will not be the last. It is her gentle yet influential soul that spoke to me and captivated me from the very first word. I have to feel a strong and compelling connection to a story otherwise it doesn’t hold my attention or my heart like this one did. I am still feeling the effects of this story even now, and I know that the next part will create an even stronger link to my heart. There is so much promise and endless potential in Hart that I am very eager to watch as she continues to unfurl her wings and show the world what truly lies in the depths of her soul. This part of her heart truly blew me away, and I can’t thank her enough for having the courage and the determination to show us the magnificent treasure that she truly is.
Raven has lived her whole life with a gaping hole in her heart where her father should have been. She longed for the day when he would stay with them and just vacation to his work in Africa. This dream faded a little more with each passing year until it disappeared entirely. With the tragic passing of her father, she is left in terrible pain as she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. In an effort to discover the truth that she knows is within her grasp, she travels to her father’s workplace in the heart of the jungle to find the pieces of her heart that her father took with him. What she discovers throughout her journey is so much more than she ever expected. Not only does she learn the truths that her father longed for her to unearth, but the passion that drove her father transforms her heart and brings her to life in the most unlikely of places. Jospin should have turned her away when he found her on his property. He should have closed his heart off to her when he saw the same broken spirit and searing pain deep within her eyes. He should have done a lot of things differently, but he didn’t. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t block her out or turn her away. She touched his heart and soul like no other person ever had, and he couldn’t stay away no matter how much he knew her life depended on it. It was useless because he was hooked and like an addict, his heart demanded his Raven fix. Did fate truly command the destiny of these two star-crossed lovers, or would they forge their own path in life? Would their love be strong enough to stand up against the raging torrent that threatens to tear them apart forever, or will it be ripped to shreds and disappear forever just like her father?
The blurb of this book and its breath-taking cover really caught my eye for some reason, and I am so glad that it did. I was truly blown away by this stunning masterpiece. The story wasn’t diluted with strong undercurrents of personal mantras, but it gently and sincerely offered a heart-wrenching view of life in the jungle. To view this world through the eyes of a broken person allowed for truths and facts to be conveyed in a very non-threatening but powerful way. The characters of Raven, Jospin, Clovis and others breathed life and heart into this incredibly brilliant story. The connections that were created and especially those that had always been silently binding both Raven and Jospin left my mind reeling with astonishment and awe. The wonderfully wicked twists and turns that came along kept me second guessing myself and left me utterly speechless. My heart was so caught up in this gripping and emotional story that I ended up reading it in one sitting. I simply couldn’t get enough of it, and I truly hated to see it end. However, I can’t wait to see what happens next because there is no way that Raven will give up so easily on everything that she has come to discover and love about her jungle.
This is the first book that I have read by Amber Hart, and I promise you that it will not be the last. It is her gentle yet influential soul that spoke to me and captivated me from the very first word. I have to feel a strong and compelling connection to a story otherwise it doesn’t hold my attention or my heart like this one did. I am still feeling the effects of this story even now, and I know that the next part will create an even stronger link to my heart. There is so much promise and endless potential in Hart that I am very eager to watch as she continues to unfurl her wings and show the world what truly lies in the depths of her soul. This part of her heart truly blew me away, and I can’t thank her enough for having the courage and the determination to show us the magnificent treasure that she truly is.
November 11, 2014
This book was so good and so unique among the New Adult genre that I am not sure I can do it justice. I really loved everything about this book. It begins with Raven being attacked by a gorilla in the jungle of Cameroon. She has come to Cameroon at her father’s request. He founded a gorilla habitat to save and rehabilitate gorillas that are shot by poachers or abandoned when poachers kill the parent. The 20 year old college student can’t understand why her father asked her to join him for the summer. Now she may never know since he was recently attacked and killed by a gorilla, himself.
This book is told in dual points of view. Jospin was born and raised in the jungle of Cameroon. He lives close to the jungle and hears the screams of someone in trouble. When he sees the beautiful blond haired girl who has been attacked he can’t understand why she was in the jungle by herself; a jungle that is filled with danger. Gorillas don’t just attack at random, but if provoked, few survive an attack. Then there are the poachers who shoot first, and ask questions later. The rival poaching gangs are extremely territorial and don’t tolerate anyone who encroaches. There is too much money in the black market sale of gorilla meat and fur. And Jospin knows this all too well. He is the son and heir of the leader of the jungles most powerful poaching pack.
Raven has no love for the gorillas her father worked so hard to save, and has so much resentment for the place that kept her father from her and her mother for most of her life. We get flashes of memories - times when the family was together in Michigan, and it was clear her father loved her and her mother, but his work always came first. As she recovers from the injuries that have left her arm covered in deep scars she finds herself face to face with a handsome stranger who has weapons and knows how to wield them. The habitat doesn’t allow weapons, but the thought of having them comforts her. The stranger agrees to help her learn to throw a knife and tells her he can teach her to make weapons. They only share names and his is Jospin.
As the story continues to build, so does a relationship between Raven and Jospin. I feel like their relationship and the way it develops was wonderfully written. I love everything about these two. Both have flaws and strengths and they keep so many secrets from each other, but somehow an honest love grows between them.
The way the story builds and Raven learns to deal with the gorillas, what her father hoped she could help him with, and how his death has affected her, kept me completely engrossed. As secrets are revealed and lives are threatened the story comes to a dramatic conclusion that is definitely a cliff hanger. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
I know this story may not appeal to all readers. The departure from college life, bars and parties, that are so common in New Adult may not be for everyone. Maybe the theme of conservation and poaching is too serious for some. In my opinion, taking a girl completely out of her environment and making her face her life head on, including her biggest fears, is what New Adult is all about. Finding love in the last place you expect, and in the “wrong” person is also part of what I love about this sub-genre. I am so happy I gave this a try and I hope it finds a big audience.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book is told in dual points of view. Jospin was born and raised in the jungle of Cameroon. He lives close to the jungle and hears the screams of someone in trouble. When he sees the beautiful blond haired girl who has been attacked he can’t understand why she was in the jungle by herself; a jungle that is filled with danger. Gorillas don’t just attack at random, but if provoked, few survive an attack. Then there are the poachers who shoot first, and ask questions later. The rival poaching gangs are extremely territorial and don’t tolerate anyone who encroaches. There is too much money in the black market sale of gorilla meat and fur. And Jospin knows this all too well. He is the son and heir of the leader of the jungles most powerful poaching pack.
Raven has no love for the gorillas her father worked so hard to save, and has so much resentment for the place that kept her father from her and her mother for most of her life. We get flashes of memories - times when the family was together in Michigan, and it was clear her father loved her and her mother, but his work always came first. As she recovers from the injuries that have left her arm covered in deep scars she finds herself face to face with a handsome stranger who has weapons and knows how to wield them. The habitat doesn’t allow weapons, but the thought of having them comforts her. The stranger agrees to help her learn to throw a knife and tells her he can teach her to make weapons. They only share names and his is Jospin.
As the story continues to build, so does a relationship between Raven and Jospin. I feel like their relationship and the way it develops was wonderfully written. I love everything about these two. Both have flaws and strengths and they keep so many secrets from each other, but somehow an honest love grows between them.
The way the story builds and Raven learns to deal with the gorillas, what her father hoped she could help him with, and how his death has affected her, kept me completely engrossed. As secrets are revealed and lives are threatened the story comes to a dramatic conclusion that is definitely a cliff hanger. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
I know this story may not appeal to all readers. The departure from college life, bars and parties, that are so common in New Adult may not be for everyone. Maybe the theme of conservation and poaching is too serious for some. In my opinion, taking a girl completely out of her environment and making her face her life head on, including her biggest fears, is what New Adult is all about. Finding love in the last place you expect, and in the “wrong” person is also part of what I love about this sub-genre. I am so happy I gave this a try and I hope it finds a big audience.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2015
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I was immediately drawn to Until You Find Me because of the multi-cultural cover and the African setting. I love to see diversity in books and this seemed like a really interesting New Adult read – very different than anything else that I’d ever seen! Well, thankfully it lived up to my expectations!
What I loved:
The setting.
This book took place in the jungle! (Do I really need to say anything more than that?) I mean, we’ve all read New Adult books that take place in a college setting, or maybe out in the working world – but when was the last time you read one that took place in the jungle?! Right from the beginning, the book had me hooked with the danger of the jungle (the book starts with Raven being attacked by a gorilla!). I also loved reading Jospin’s POV and seeing the jungle from the perspective of a native (especially one who was part of the poaching empire).
Gorillas!
Again, how can you not love a book that features gorillas? Raven’s father created a habitat to protect gorillas from poachers. At first, Raven wasn’t convinced that they deserved saving – which was understandable, considering the fact that she was attacked by one. But as she grew closer to one gorilla in particular, she started to realize how close to human the creatures truly were. I loved the parts of the book that featured the gorillas. I also really actually appreciated seeing the gorillas from Jospin’s perspective – Jospin was raised as a poacher, and he didn’t see the gorillas as anything more than money to be made. It sounds horrible, but I could kind of understand how he felt that way – he didn’t see it as any different than hunting any other kind of animal. He was raised in the poaching empire, and so his beliefs made a lot of sense. I appreciated that Jospin didn’t just change his perspective on the gorillas as soon as he met Raven (actually, even Raven had to change her perspective about the gorillas!).
Jospin and Raven.
Even though Jospin and Raven kept a lot of secrets from each other, I still kind of loved their relationship. They both had their reasons for not wanting to talk about their families, so neither of them wanted to push the other into disclosing more about themselves. This could have been a frustrating scenario, but it made sense for these two. Jospin and Raven had undeniable chemistry too, so I loved them together!
The negatives:
Raven’s need for closure.
I have to admit that I didn’t quite get Raven’s need to stay in the jungle, even though she hated it (and even though she was attacked by a gorilla at the very start of the book!). And I didn’t really relate to her intense need to get closure about her father’s death. I just wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for or why she needed it so badly, so I had a hard time connecting with that part of the story at first.
If you’re looking for something a little bit different – something unique – then you should definitely pick this series up! This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but luckily book #2 just came out yesterday (watch for my review of that one coming soon!). I give this book 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
I was immediately drawn to Until You Find Me because of the multi-cultural cover and the African setting. I love to see diversity in books and this seemed like a really interesting New Adult read – very different than anything else that I’d ever seen! Well, thankfully it lived up to my expectations!
What I loved:
The setting.
This book took place in the jungle! (Do I really need to say anything more than that?) I mean, we’ve all read New Adult books that take place in a college setting, or maybe out in the working world – but when was the last time you read one that took place in the jungle?! Right from the beginning, the book had me hooked with the danger of the jungle (the book starts with Raven being attacked by a gorilla!). I also loved reading Jospin’s POV and seeing the jungle from the perspective of a native (especially one who was part of the poaching empire).
Gorillas!
Again, how can you not love a book that features gorillas? Raven’s father created a habitat to protect gorillas from poachers. At first, Raven wasn’t convinced that they deserved saving – which was understandable, considering the fact that she was attacked by one. But as she grew closer to one gorilla in particular, she started to realize how close to human the creatures truly were. I loved the parts of the book that featured the gorillas. I also really actually appreciated seeing the gorillas from Jospin’s perspective – Jospin was raised as a poacher, and he didn’t see the gorillas as anything more than money to be made. It sounds horrible, but I could kind of understand how he felt that way – he didn’t see it as any different than hunting any other kind of animal. He was raised in the poaching empire, and so his beliefs made a lot of sense. I appreciated that Jospin didn’t just change his perspective on the gorillas as soon as he met Raven (actually, even Raven had to change her perspective about the gorillas!).
Jospin and Raven.
Even though Jospin and Raven kept a lot of secrets from each other, I still kind of loved their relationship. They both had their reasons for not wanting to talk about their families, so neither of them wanted to push the other into disclosing more about themselves. This could have been a frustrating scenario, but it made sense for these two. Jospin and Raven had undeniable chemistry too, so I loved them together!
The negatives:
Raven’s need for closure.
I have to admit that I didn’t quite get Raven’s need to stay in the jungle, even though she hated it (and even though she was attacked by a gorilla at the very start of the book!). And I didn’t really relate to her intense need to get closure about her father’s death. I just wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for or why she needed it so badly, so I had a hard time connecting with that part of the story at first.
If you’re looking for something a little bit different – something unique – then you should definitely pick this series up! This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but luckily book #2 just came out yesterday (watch for my review of that one coming soon!). I give this book 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
December 13, 2014
~I was received a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.~
Until You Find Me is a brilliant, beautiful, heart-wrenching, suspenseful love story. I truly don’t think there are enough stars for this book. It is in the top 10 of all the books I have EVER read, not just this year….I literally mean EVER!. There was laughter, tears, and a couple of curse words as the story unfolded. I am not sure anything I write can do this magnificent book any justice. It was AMAZING!!!!
Raven has left her home in the United States and traveled to the deep forests of Africa searching for answers to painful questions. Why did her father choose the apes to rehabilitate over his family? Why did he die? Why did he want her to come so desperately before he died? As she maneuvers the dangers of the jungle in her quest, she encounters Jospin, a sexy native, who has secrets of his own. As they spend time more time with each other, their attraction to each other gets HOTTER! As always with a good romance, there are other unforeseen factors that threaten to tear them apart.
While this is a fantastic romance filled with hot, combustible sexual chemistry between the Jospin and Raven, it’s a love story of other sorts. It’s a love a daughter has for her father and a love and dedication to saving a species that need all the help they can get! Raven is a broken girl mentally and physically, but she has the soul of not only a survivor but a fighter. Her struggle with her grief and resentment I felt deep in my heart. And, I felt her joy as she found bits of happiness in the very place and the very animals that she thinks took her father away from her. Some of my favorite scenes are between Raven and the gorilla, Leahciim. The interaction between Raven and Leahcim were so heart-pounding and beautiful that they brought me to tears.
As I said earlier, there is love and heartache, but this is a suspenseful and thrilling read as well. It’s full of twists and turns, and when Amber Hart revealed the secrets behind those twists and turns, she blew me away….this is where the curse words came in. It was great though!!! It left me waiting for more, and the ending…oh my! Didn’t see the direction she was going to take this one in. It’s a bit of a cliffhanger, but please don’t let that keep you from reading this fantastic book!
I have never read anything from Amber Hart, but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. She has a heart for conservation and particularly for gorillas. She does a magnificent job of allowing the reader to see her passion. It was moving, and I saw a side to these incredible creatures I had not seen before. Please do yourself a favor and download this beautiful and thrilling book today. It will move you and touch you deeply! I just have one request, Amber, please don’t make us wait too long to see what happens to Jospin, Raven, and those beautiful gorillas!
Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Books
Until You Find Me is a brilliant, beautiful, heart-wrenching, suspenseful love story. I truly don’t think there are enough stars for this book. It is in the top 10 of all the books I have EVER read, not just this year….I literally mean EVER!. There was laughter, tears, and a couple of curse words as the story unfolded. I am not sure anything I write can do this magnificent book any justice. It was AMAZING!!!!
Raven has left her home in the United States and traveled to the deep forests of Africa searching for answers to painful questions. Why did her father choose the apes to rehabilitate over his family? Why did he die? Why did he want her to come so desperately before he died? As she maneuvers the dangers of the jungle in her quest, she encounters Jospin, a sexy native, who has secrets of his own. As they spend time more time with each other, their attraction to each other gets HOTTER! As always with a good romance, there are other unforeseen factors that threaten to tear them apart.
While this is a fantastic romance filled with hot, combustible sexual chemistry between the Jospin and Raven, it’s a love story of other sorts. It’s a love a daughter has for her father and a love and dedication to saving a species that need all the help they can get! Raven is a broken girl mentally and physically, but she has the soul of not only a survivor but a fighter. Her struggle with her grief and resentment I felt deep in my heart. And, I felt her joy as she found bits of happiness in the very place and the very animals that she thinks took her father away from her. Some of my favorite scenes are between Raven and the gorilla, Leahciim. The interaction between Raven and Leahcim were so heart-pounding and beautiful that they brought me to tears.
As I said earlier, there is love and heartache, but this is a suspenseful and thrilling read as well. It’s full of twists and turns, and when Amber Hart revealed the secrets behind those twists and turns, she blew me away….this is where the curse words came in. It was great though!!! It left me waiting for more, and the ending…oh my! Didn’t see the direction she was going to take this one in. It’s a bit of a cliffhanger, but please don’t let that keep you from reading this fantastic book!
I have never read anything from Amber Hart, but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. She has a heart for conservation and particularly for gorillas. She does a magnificent job of allowing the reader to see her passion. It was moving, and I saw a side to these incredible creatures I had not seen before. Please do yourself a favor and download this beautiful and thrilling book today. It will move you and touch you deeply! I just have one request, Amber, please don’t make us wait too long to see what happens to Jospin, Raven, and those beautiful gorillas!
Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Books
December 3, 2014
*ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing*
Review also at JustOneMoreBlogAboutBooks
pleasepleasepleaseplease tell me the sequel will be released tomorrow!!!!!!!! PLEASE!
I really can't wait for an unspecified time in 2015 to read more about Raven, Jospin, Clovis and Leahcim!!
As you could guess, I really loved Until You Find Me. This book is original, sweet, intriguing and its characters are really interesting! At the beginning Raven's motives to go to Cameroon aren't quite clear even to her - more so since she seemed to hate everything about it - but, in the second half of the book, we finally start to understand the plan Raven's dad put into motion asking his daughter to reach him in Africa. Still it's not like that in the meantime I was bored by the plotline: Raven's and Jospin's relationship was pretty engrossing after all! Those two really are something together...even when I couldn't think a way they could remain together if/when the truth came out, I was rooting for them!
The end was so bittersweet...have I already said that I can't really wait for the sequel?!?
I also loved the interactions between Raven and Leahcim, how could I not?! Leahcim felt so real in my mind, his expressions, his gestures...so sweet! I'm really curious of his story and of why he seemed so interested in only Raven, how that sums up to the main storyline. As for all the other unanswered questions and unresolved situations, I'll have to wait. I hate it! Still I'm really, really happy to have read Amber Hart's novel, even if it pain me to wait for the happy ending I want...there will be an happy ending, right? RIGHT??! Oooooookay, I get it: I'm starting to repeat myself.
At last I'd like to thank the author for the chance to read her book through NetGalley and I hope she appreciates my review and that'll be an incentive to write and release the sequel sooner ;D
Review also at JustOneMoreBlogAboutBooks
pleasepleasepleaseplease tell me the sequel will be released tomorrow!!!!!!!! PLEASE!
I really can't wait for an unspecified time in 2015 to read more about Raven, Jospin, Clovis and Leahcim!!
As you could guess, I really loved Until You Find Me. This book is original, sweet, intriguing and its characters are really interesting! At the beginning Raven's motives to go to Cameroon aren't quite clear even to her - more so since she seemed to hate everything about it - but, in the second half of the book, we finally start to understand the plan Raven's dad put into motion asking his daughter to reach him in Africa. Still it's not like that in the meantime I was bored by the plotline: Raven's and Jospin's relationship was pretty engrossing after all! Those two really are something together...even when I couldn't think a way they could remain together if/when the truth came out, I was rooting for them!
The end was so bittersweet...have I already said that I can't really wait for the sequel?!?
I also loved the interactions between Raven and Leahcim, how could I not?! Leahcim felt so real in my mind, his expressions, his gestures...so sweet! I'm really curious of his story and of why he seemed so interested in only Raven, how that sums up to the main storyline. As for all the other unanswered questions and unresolved situations, I'll have to wait. I hate it! Still I'm really, really happy to have read Amber Hart's novel, even if it pain me to wait for the happy ending I want...there will be an happy ending, right? RIGHT??! Oooooookay, I get it: I'm starting to repeat myself.
At last I'd like to thank the author for the chance to read her book through NetGalley and I hope she appreciates my review and that'll be an incentive to write and release the sequel sooner ;D
November 18, 2014
ARC provided by Netgalley
I requested this from Netgalley because I was intrigued by a New Adult book set not on a college campus, but instead in Africa, and with a cross-race central romance. Unfortunately, Hart's book is more melodrama in the jungle than moving romance, with as many plot and logic holes as an old sieve. White college-aged Raven is living at Heart for Habitat, a rehab center for injured apes in Cameroon. Early on, she's attacked by an ape and spends time recovering from major injuries at the hospital. Logic hole 1: she doesn't inform her mom that she's in the hospital (???). When she returns to the Habitat, we discover that her father, too, was recently attacked by an ape, but unlike Raven, never recovered. Before his death, he asked Raven to come to Africa to help him with some unspecified problem, but now all she wants is to find out what he wanted, and to try and make sense of his death. (Why a program tight on money would allow an unqualified college-aged girl to hang about, especially when she does no work: Logic problem #2).
While she's wandering one day, she comes across an attractive, mysterious, gun-toting young Cameroonian. The two fall in lust with each other, but somehow don't ever figure out what the other is doing in the jungle (logic problem #3). Jospin is, of course, the son of the chief of a major ape-poaching gang, and has killed his share of apes, although hasn't, like his father, killed any people. Yet. He doesn't seem to have many moral scruples about the way his family makes its living, or about his father's ruthlessness. But yet we as readers are supposed to find him a hot, sexy, appealing hero, just as Raven does. Ah, not so much.
The climax of the story turns majorly weird, with Jospin exiled and Raven undercover in the middle of the poacher's camp. More melodrama (and more steamy sex) are sure to ensue in the book's sequel. Which I for one won't be reading.
I requested this from Netgalley because I was intrigued by a New Adult book set not on a college campus, but instead in Africa, and with a cross-race central romance. Unfortunately, Hart's book is more melodrama in the jungle than moving romance, with as many plot and logic holes as an old sieve. White college-aged Raven is living at Heart for Habitat, a rehab center for injured apes in Cameroon. Early on, she's attacked by an ape and spends time recovering from major injuries at the hospital. Logic hole 1: she doesn't inform her mom that she's in the hospital (???). When she returns to the Habitat, we discover that her father, too, was recently attacked by an ape, but unlike Raven, never recovered. Before his death, he asked Raven to come to Africa to help him with some unspecified problem, but now all she wants is to find out what he wanted, and to try and make sense of his death. (Why a program tight on money would allow an unqualified college-aged girl to hang about, especially when she does no work: Logic problem #2).
While she's wandering one day, she comes across an attractive, mysterious, gun-toting young Cameroonian. The two fall in lust with each other, but somehow don't ever figure out what the other is doing in the jungle (logic problem #3). Jospin is, of course, the son of the chief of a major ape-poaching gang, and has killed his share of apes, although hasn't, like his father, killed any people. Yet. He doesn't seem to have many moral scruples about the way his family makes its living, or about his father's ruthlessness. But yet we as readers are supposed to find him a hot, sexy, appealing hero, just as Raven does. Ah, not so much.
The climax of the story turns majorly weird, with Jospin exiled and Raven undercover in the middle of the poacher's camp. More melodrama (and more steamy sex) are sure to ensue in the book's sequel. Which I for one won't be reading.
February 1, 2015
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. To read more reviews like this one, check out Obsessive Book Nerd! My full review of this book will be posted on 11/11/14.
Right from the start I was hooked. The first chapter started out extremely descriptive, detailing the African jungle. It was also very intense, It quickly got my heart pumping and I did not want to put this book down.
Raven has easily become one of my favorite book protagonists.And I really enjoyed the scenes when she was with the gorillas. Not to mention all the scenes with Jospin!
My feelings toward Jospin are a bit more confusing. Jospin was like two different people. In a way, he is your typical “book boyfriend” and I love him. However, when we see the poaching side of him, he is a completely different person, and I hate him.
The author did just a wonderful job describing the every experience and scene in the book, that I felt like I was there in the jungle with Raven and Jospin. There was a particular event that actually made me cry.
I loved how we got both Raven and Jospin’s point of view. It was exciting to read/feel the development of their relationship, Raven’s attitude toward the gorilla’s, her search for answers to her father’s death, as well as Jospin’s rise to his father’s poaching empire. The ending of the book was intense and exciting, it kept me on your toes. With this being the first book in the series the story is left on a major cliffhanger. I’m so angry/sad/depressed that I have to wait until 2015 for book two!
Right from the start I was hooked. The first chapter started out extremely descriptive, detailing the African jungle. It was also very intense, It quickly got my heart pumping and I did not want to put this book down.
Raven has easily become one of my favorite book protagonists.And I really enjoyed the scenes when she was with the gorillas. Not to mention all the scenes with Jospin!
My feelings toward Jospin are a bit more confusing. Jospin was like two different people. In a way, he is your typical “book boyfriend” and I love him. However, when we see the poaching side of him, he is a completely different person, and I hate him.
The author did just a wonderful job describing the every experience and scene in the book, that I felt like I was there in the jungle with Raven and Jospin. There was a particular event that actually made me cry.
I loved how we got both Raven and Jospin’s point of view. It was exciting to read/feel the development of their relationship, Raven’s attitude toward the gorilla’s, her search for answers to her father’s death, as well as Jospin’s rise to his father’s poaching empire. The ending of the book was intense and exciting, it kept me on your toes. With this being the first book in the series the story is left on a major cliffhanger. I’m so angry/sad/depressed that I have to wait until 2015 for book two!
October 8, 2014
ARC provided via netgalley and the publisher for an honest review
5 find me stars.
Seriously wow I loved this freaking book. This author paints imagery the best I have read this year. This book is surrounded by mystery, death, multicultural, multiracial concepts. There are two characters that give their story in POV Raven whos father died suddenly in the Cameroon and she meets a boy after her horrific gorilla attack named Jospin. Jospin is the son of the greatest poacher .
I loved the interaction with the gorillas especially Leahchim who is a gorilla that was shot that hates everyone in the gorilla rescue compound except Raven. And after Ravens attack she hates all gorillas but suddenly warms up to him and they develop their own friendship through paint.
This story has so many twists and turns and I am just on the edge of my seat with every new thing we learn.
The end of the book is a SERIOUS cliffhanger and now I am sad that I have to wait FOREVER for it to be continued.
The romance I this book is minimal and very tasteful.
5 find me stars.
Seriously wow I loved this freaking book. This author paints imagery the best I have read this year. This book is surrounded by mystery, death, multicultural, multiracial concepts. There are two characters that give their story in POV Raven whos father died suddenly in the Cameroon and she meets a boy after her horrific gorilla attack named Jospin. Jospin is the son of the greatest poacher .
I loved the interaction with the gorillas especially Leahchim who is a gorilla that was shot that hates everyone in the gorilla rescue compound except Raven. And after Ravens attack she hates all gorillas but suddenly warms up to him and they develop their own friendship through paint.
This story has so many twists and turns and I am just on the edge of my seat with every new thing we learn.
The end of the book is a SERIOUS cliffhanger and now I am sad that I have to wait FOREVER for it to be continued.
The romance I this book is minimal and very tasteful.
September 27, 2014
*Recieved and eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Raven moves to Cameroon after her father's death. He used to help saving the gorillas but her grief and hatred doesn't allow her to see thebeauty of the endagered spieces. Everything changes when she meets Jospin, who harbors secrets of his own.
Firstly, I liked the fact that the author wrote the book about the gorillas; they are one of many endagered species and the plot surrounds this fact. The romance blooms between the characters, not the insta-kind but enough to have strong scenes. Also, the mystery thickens at the ending leaving enough spoilers for the next book.
Overall it's an enjoyable read with teachings about the value of life and nature.
Raven moves to Cameroon after her father's death. He used to help saving the gorillas but her grief and hatred doesn't allow her to see thebeauty of the endagered spieces. Everything changes when she meets Jospin, who harbors secrets of his own.
Firstly, I liked the fact that the author wrote the book about the gorillas; they are one of many endagered species and the plot surrounds this fact. The romance blooms between the characters, not the insta-kind but enough to have strong scenes. Also, the mystery thickens at the ending leaving enough spoilers for the next book.
Overall it's an enjoyable read with teachings about the value of life and nature.
July 19, 2015
Enserio que se tuvo que terminar en la mejor parte!
Nunca había leído algo así como un romance en medio de la selva, claro toca puntos muy importantes, como la caza de los simios!
Espero pronto leer el segundo libro!
Nunca había leído algo así como un romance en medio de la selva, claro toca puntos muy importantes, como la caza de los simios!
Espero pronto leer el segundo libro!
May 24, 2015
4.5 :)
May 2, 2015
Excellent book, but I wish there was a sequel
Very good book, but I really wanted to know more about the story, i hope there is a sequel. Recommended
Very good book, but I really wanted to know more about the story, i hope there is a sequel. Recommended
September 9, 2014
Detailed review soon to come! But it was beyond amazing!
November 18, 2018
Until You Find Me is the story of Raven who has set off to a world completely different to her own to try and find out the truth behind her father’s death.
Raven has come to an animal sanctuary deep in the jungle. She isn’t particularly a fan of animals, in fact, she holds them responsible for the disappearance of her father from her life. Raven grew up in America whereas her dad left to work in the jungle. They kept regular contact but now that he is dead she holds the jungle and its inhabitants responsible.
In trying to uncover the truth, Raven stumbles upon the seedy underbelly of jungle life – the killing of endangered species for meat and fur. Once she knows the truth about this world will she ever be able to get out again.
Until You Find Me had the makings of being a great story. It had a good main thread of a story – the loss of a parent, it had romance, and it had an exotic location. Personally, I feel where the story became a bit muddied was with the emphasis on the secondary story of animal meat/fur trafficking. Don’t get me wrong, this was a very interesting storyline and one that I haven’t come across in fiction before but I feel that both storylines were competing to be the main one and as a reader I didn’t know which one to prioritise. I just feel that the book came across as confused.
It is a good story though and one that will compel you to keep turning to the next page.
Until You Find Me by Amber Hart is available now.
Raven has come to an animal sanctuary deep in the jungle. She isn’t particularly a fan of animals, in fact, she holds them responsible for the disappearance of her father from her life. Raven grew up in America whereas her dad left to work in the jungle. They kept regular contact but now that he is dead she holds the jungle and its inhabitants responsible.
In trying to uncover the truth, Raven stumbles upon the seedy underbelly of jungle life – the killing of endangered species for meat and fur. Once she knows the truth about this world will she ever be able to get out again.
Until You Find Me had the makings of being a great story. It had a good main thread of a story – the loss of a parent, it had romance, and it had an exotic location. Personally, I feel where the story became a bit muddied was with the emphasis on the secondary story of animal meat/fur trafficking. Don’t get me wrong, this was a very interesting storyline and one that I haven’t come across in fiction before but I feel that both storylines were competing to be the main one and as a reader I didn’t know which one to prioritise. I just feel that the book came across as confused.
It is a good story though and one that will compel you to keep turning to the next page.
Until You Find Me by Amber Hart is available now.
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