Lettie's pretty sure things can't get much worse. Really, going to hell has to be a low point. But she will go anywhere, she will do anything, to get Gabe back.
Join Lettie on the second installment of her journey. Battling demons (and conquering battlefields,) stopping and starting wars and family feuds all lead to one thing: Harsh Decisions.
I absolutely love this series. Definitely out of my norm but well worth purchasing. I'm in love with this series. Casey Harvell is such an amazing writer. Such great detail it's like being in the story. I will definitely be reading book 3.
Warning: Baby spoilers as examples of certain things pointed out in the book.
First let me give you some of the things I liked about the story:
1. There were a few lovable characters in the book. My favorite were the parents, particularly all of the moms. 2. I definitely appreciated the growth in Chase's character. 3. The pace in the story was quite steady. 4. I noticed that the cover had been updated. The new cover definitely draws the eyes more.
Despite these, there are still opportunities for improvement to the series:
1. Yes, I do like the presence of conflict but I feel as if way too much had gotten squeezed in (saving Gabe, stopping an ongoing war, more layers of her past get revealed, birthing a revolution, pregnancy --just to name some of the many)
2. Lots of new characters are introduced to the fold. It bordered on almost being too many to keep up with.
3. Main character development: Lettie has grown in power (think super god on Steroids) but still reverts back to previous behavior in the form of avoidance and being very judgmental. Part of my disdain with Lettie is how she treats Chase. Like in the first book, she is way too quick to believe the worse in him, after he is the main one who sacrifices time after time.
4. Where the author has accelerated growth in Lettie, she has remained content for Gabe to be the same, which I cannot understand in reference to the trauma he went through.
5. Despite the cover, I wish I knew more about what Lettie physically looked like. Shay keeps saying that Lettie's irresistible. Show me in the physical description. Make me believe it because I still can't grasp (besides her powers) why these men are captivated by her.
6. Formatting is extremely flawed (font changed size in a number of places)
7. In many spots in the text, the long dash should have been used instead of the hyphen. Also, there were some words that were hyphenated where the hyphen was not needed.
8. Excessive spacing in words in a number of chapters
9. Misplaced words or wrong word usages
10. Tense inconsistency (slipped from present tense to past tense) on a few occasions
11. Too much repetition over the urgency to save Gabe at the beginning. It was almost as if the author thought we would forget about him.
Overall: 3 out of 5 Stars
Like the updated cover, I think the inside needs updating as well. The author tried to cram too much conflict when only just a little would have sufficed--even if it meant extending the series beyond a set number. The danger in presenting so many events is the author is going to have to keep track in getting this resolved in the third segment. The core characters have exhibited growth but it is fragmented: Lettie--accelerated too much in some ways, not enough in others while Gabe hasn't really gone beyond being super overbearing and at times, needy. Another visit with the editor would benefit this book as well. Editing, the overall story and characters must reflect smoothness from beginning to end so this can be a series worth continuing.
This is part of a series and a continuation of Lettie’s journey From Righteous Decisions, so I do suggest you read the series in order to get the full understanding. I really enjoyed this story. I liked how it begins with her literally going to hell to save the man she loves, then the journey continues after she gets back home in our world. This way we got the best of two worlds. I loved the author’s take on hell, where we have both good and evil and an in-between trying to maintain balance in the world. I found this intriguing Lettie is a strong heroine but has a soft side to her. I found her very likeable. All of the characters have distinctive personalities The story has plenty of suspense and action and one of my favourite things is that though there is no actual sex in the book, the love between Lettie and Gabe is strong and sexy. And I love a story that brings tears to my eyes and I have t say this one got me by surprise. If you like strong female characters, new adult paranormal stories, a good, clean read, Angels, Demons and plenty of twists, this is for you!
Harsh Decisions is the second installment to Casey Harvell’s trilogy involving Lettie and Gabriel. The story is basically about the battle between good and evil between angels and demons. I enjoy the way Casey writes her story in Lettie’s perspective. I love the humor she adds to it. Her writing style is casual and flows smoothly. I feel anyone who reads this story will enjoy it. I look forward to part three.
This second book was good, and definitely have a lot of answers. There were a ton of errors, including sentences with added words, and changing tenses :(
If you can get passed that, it's worth the read :)