Impulse

Submerged Sun #2

by Vanessa Garden

When Miranda Sun returns to Marin on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, this time of her own free will, she quickly learns that her worst fears have been realised. The glittering underwater city is not as she had left it, nor too is Marko, the young king who has dominated her thoughts and heart for the last twelve months since leaving Marin.

Miranda, however, has not made the journey to Marin alone, and now must contend with not only Marko’s evil brother Damir but more surprisingly her sister Lauren who has an agenda of her own. Marko’s power begins to wane and with cracks beginning to show in the domed Utopian city, and veiled danger lurking everywhere, she quickly learns that in this dazzling city full of beautiful people she can trust no-one but herself.

If Miranda wants to survive, she must decide between the hardened sensibilities in her head and the hungers of her heart. Will her decision cause more heartache or can she help to save Marko’s throne?

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mermaids, Science Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction

284 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2014

About the author

A bookseller and Young Adult author, Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not raving about her favourite reads with customers, or mentally casting actors to play the characters in her next novel, she enjoys hanging out with those she loves most.

Reviews

[Vanessa Garden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi all! Summer is coming and so is IMPULSE, book 2 in the Submerged Sun Series!
So get ready to dive in deep and lose your heart at the bottom of the ocean, lol.
A big thanks to those who wrote to me after reading CAPTIVATE. I cherish every word :)
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And have a great Christmas and New Year!!!
Xoxoxo

[Abooktopia · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://abooktopia.weebly.com


A well developed, intrigue, plot thickened novel about an underwater kingdom unlike anything I’ve ever known. – Abooktopia

It’s been a year since Robbie returned Miranda to the surface, back to her previous life. Not a single day has passed by where her thoughts are not filled with her promise to the handsome underwater king, Marko. Her promise to return to Marin on her eighteenth birthday. The time has finally come for Miranda to give the king a second chance, and to return back as his guest, and not his reluctant captor. Willing to help Marko, Miranda knows her time in Marin will become all the more personal with twin siblings Sylvia and Damir causing disharmony in the city. They cannot be trusted, however loyalty to Sylvia continues to cloud the king’s judgment. Despite Miranda’s willingness to risk her own relationship to ensure Marko’s safety, she is sure that Sylvia is working against the king, but she only manages to drive a wedge between the two. Despite giving up her life, her family, and the sun for a life underwater, she feels unwanted and unappreciated. She finds Marko cold and unforgiving as she hears rumors of other women entertaining Marko in her absence. Though that’s not her biggest problem. Together Miranda and Marko’s must help to carry Marin into the next generation and to survive.

I enjoyed how Miranda’s character grew into an adult, as she became a touch bit wiser and older. I liked how she was not completely ruled by her emotions as her head battled against her heart in trying to decipher from right to wrong. Miranda’s relationship between her Robbie and Marko was an interesting read as each relationship had it’s own unique dynamic contrast. Robbie is without a doubt probably my most favourable character so far in the series. He is such a lovely pleasure to read about. I found that as I continued on with the story, I gradually came to accept Miranda’s relationship with Marko as their relationship developed with time. Although I loved most of the characters, the one character I could not stand was Lauren. She was just… ugh… I didn’t know whether to trust her or not, and the way she flirted with every guy was just annoying.

Impulse overall was such a lovely improvement from Captivate as it had that extra little spark that the first novel was missing. Plus the cover was absolutely gorgeous and a total winner. I loved how each character had their own secret agenda and reasoning for their actions whether it was intentionally good or bad. The setting was beautiful as we got to read about the difference of life on the surface, and in the underwater city. We also got to learn much more about the secrets of the underwater city, and how Marin operated.

***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***

[Nemo (The ☾Moonlight☾ Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library

SUMMARY
Miranda Sun has returned to the underwater city of Marin where her dream boy, the young king Marko, awaits, but somehow her sister Lauren has managed to tag along! With her own agenda, Lauren manages to ruin everything – but the biggest question is why is Marko being so cold towards Miranda? Doesn’t he love her anymore? What happened in the year she was away? And can Marko’s sister Sylvia be trusted, or will she betray him and place the evil deposed king Damir back on the throne?

WORLDBUILDING
Oh boy, I know I only gave the first book in this series, Captivate, about 3 stars, but there was something undefinable about the book that made me keep thinking about it long after I’d put it down, which was why I requested Impulse. Well, that and more Miranda/Marko sexytimes. I love their chemistry. But the cool thing about Impulse is that since Miranda is no longer a captive, we actually get to see more of Marin as she moves around and explores, visiting old favourites and meeting new people. I just gah, I can’t even explain how strange this little (big) underwater city is. It’s so magical. I want to visit there, if only for a little while. Vanessa Garden just made the world come alive for me.

CHARACTER
In this book Miranda is no longer the woe-is-me feel-sorry-for-me helpless damsel in distress she was in book 1. She’s matured, she’s toughened up, and she deals with a lot more bullshit than she was expecting to. I was really frustrated that her and Marko basically had to start over from scratch because they didn’t know if they could trust each other even though they were sending ALL THE SIGNALS. I just wanted them to kiss already! Miranda NEVER took the relationship and all that would entail (queen) for granted, she was most adamantly against people calling her the future queen – but I did get a little angered on her behalf when some nosy servant asked if she came back to Marin for Marko or for Robbie…

RELATIONSHIPS
Speaking of Robbie, I’ pretty sure the relationship with him and Miranda in Book 1 was supposed to be some kind of love triangle, which I totally did not feel. Robbie’s always felt like a brother character to me, which is the role he comfortably plays in this book – but mostly because of a disability that renders him unable to play full-time protector anymore. And although I love Robbie and Miranda’s innocent friendship, I really don’t like that it took a disability for him to be relegated to the friend zone – even though I never saw him as a love interest in Book 1, yes, I know, shut up! I just don’t feel that the disability was necessary and it kind of makes him flawed next to perfect King Marko, doesn’t it?

And Lauren – well, what can I say about Lauren except that I hate her, mostly, except I also don’t know if she can be trusted, because I want to trust her. Believe me, I know, it’s a weird feeling, because I have had friends EXACTLY like Lauren whom I’ve cut out from my life for being so toxic, but I completely understand Miranda’s devotion to her. I can’t even be mad at her for what happened in the end. I know what it’s like to be in that kind of relationship with another girl, and it’s not easy.

OVERALL
If you read and enjoyed Captivate, then Impulse will be ten times better. It’s like Game of Thrones but underwater and not quite so violent or rapey. Each character has their own clear agenda and it’s fascinating watch it all come together the way it did. I’m really looking forward to Book #3 because I have to know how this ends!

I received this book for free from HarlequinTeen Australia in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Zuleeza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A copy was provided by HarlequinTEEN Australia in exchange for an honest review.

In case you haven't noticed, I heavily panned Captivate, book 1 of the Submerged Sun series. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't go near its sequel, Impulse, for obvious reasons. However, I received Impulse together with Captivate and it has such a glorious cover (I mean, come on, look at that cover!), so I thought, why not?



Wow, I mean, wow! A sequel that is thousands times better than its immediate predecessor? Dear Vanessa Garden, I don't know what happened between Captivate and Impulse...but deyyumm gurl, you made me rethink my entire existence. JK! You made me rethink my 'dropping the series if the first book is no good' policy.

I think what worked so well in Impulse is its political drama-llama which usually reserved for high fantasy books. In Impulse, we have a small-scale, underwater Game of Thrones. No shit. I didn't know who to trust, who I should loathe, what's their motives etc. In Captivate, I was under the impression that Marin citizen are a bunch of boring, nice people. I didn't expect to see the darker, uglier side of Marin citizen when faced with desperation of wanting to bear children. Even the main and secondary characters whom I thought as very one-dimensional in Captivate such as Sylvia, Anne, Damir, Lily and Lauren have morphed into more complex, layered characters in Impulse. Special honourary mention: Blake - I loved this guy! He's so creepy in the right way! One thing that still bothers me is whether I should hate Lauren or not. I don't know if the author wants me to hate Lauren at first then to like her once I learned her true motive or just continue to hate her because her motive is still very ambiguous up until the end of the book.

Now, another interesting bit about this book is its undefined genre. It could be a dystopia - organised underwater civilisation but it's not set in the future. It could be a fantasy - because of the mention of a mythical creature and just the general atmosphere of the book, but the creature is yet to be verified to have existed. It could be a sci-fi - hell yeah, alien technology but this bit is also still very much wishy-washy. Honestly, it could be a romance and thriller and mystery book. Unbelievable, isn't it? I saw a lot of people shelving the books from this series under 'mermaid' tag and this confuses the hell out of me. THIS IS NOT TECHNICALLY A MERMAID BOOK. Yeah, there are some mentions of mermaid but mermaid isn't the main thing here, okay.

Okay, here's the thing that made me feel so relieved; the relationship between Miranda and Marko is properly built and developed in this book. No more outlandish, insta-love declarations, no more unnecessary pseudo love triangle. Although, in Impulse, there is a part where I actually held my breath because I felt like another love triangle is coming but this time it's for a good reason. So yeah, I felt myself warming up to Miranda and Marko although towards the end I cringed a bit when Miranda wants to take things too fast.

But Impulse still had the same problem as Captivate. The last one third of the book has once again suffered from sketchy plot and it felt like it was dragged forever but ended up at the same point. But contrary to the first book where it's just plunging to the abyss of the deepest hell-hole, this time it was still bearable and readable. I think with better editing, this last part of the book could have been much better.

So yeah, Impulse - totally worth it!

[Kelly (Diva Booknerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/12/i...
Impulse begins almost twelve months after Miranda has returned to the surface, and her thoughts soon return to her promise to Marko, to return to Marin on her eighteenth birthday. Torn between not wanting to leave her grandparents, now the only parents she knows and living with Marko, calling the underwater kingdom home. But with sister Lauren ensuring their safety, it's time for Miranda to take a chance on the king that was once her reluctant captor. In Marin, the women are unable to conceive, and the hope of the citizens rest upon Miranda and the King to carry Marin into the next generation.

Twin siblings Sylvia and Damir cannot be trusted, and Miranda knows all too well. But loyalty to Sylvia continues to cloud Marko's judgement and refuses to listen to Miranda's pleas, but allows her concerns to drive a wedge between them. Where I warmed to Marko in Captivate, in Impulse he was downright cold and unforgiving. Miranda has given up her life, her family and seeing the sun for a life underwater and it seems she isn't wanted. Rumours of other women entertaining Marko in Miranda's absence are rife throughout the palace, but Miranda's biggest issue is now Lauren, demanding to live within Marin as well. Lauren's character set me on edge. Her endless flirting with any male that moved, she demands to be the center of attention even though it's finally Miranda's time to shine.

Without a doubt my favourite character from both captivate and Impulse is Robbie. The former guard and most trusted friend of the King. He's incredibly lovely and a pleasure to read. The romance, or lack thereof was actually more engaging and realistic, no instant and awkward declarations of love but rather frustrating, slow burning and delicious. As indecisive as I find myself about Miranda, I admire her fire and ability to uphold morals, even at the sake of her own happiness. She's adamant that Sylvia is working against Marko and is willing to risk her tentative relationship to ensure Marko's safety.

I absolutely adore the world Vanessa Garden has created, a complex underwater world that breathes life into the characters. Not as strong as Captivate, but Impulse is a worthy sequel that focuses on character development, surprising revelations and the politics of a brewing revolution. Looking forward to the series finale and seeing what becomes of Marin and the two young lovers.

[K]

Just won an advance copy of Impulse by HarlequinTEEN Australia, and I couldn't be happier right now. I'm on cloud nine people! ^.^

[Eleni · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

There were aspects of this book that were interesting, mainly the first half of the book, but somewhere along the way I felt like the story sort of crashed and burned.

Firstly, the concept of Marin. Marin is an underworld city that is actually an old spaceship. This idea could have had merit if it was established, but instead the characters just think that it's very convenient that everything, and I mean absolutely EVERYTHING, has been provided for them. Nobody questions this. Nobody wonders why an alien race with a massive ship was close enough to earth to be able to crash land. Nobody even wonders how the clearly advanced civilsation become extinct when they could have easily taken over the world with their advanced technology. Everyone is just so accepting of this and it is extremely frustrating.

Then comes the characters. The central characters aren't so bad, but the people of Marin are the worst. They rebel against their king for his brother who all the people know murdered his own father, the previous king, and who has mounting evidence against him that all but proves he has been cutting up women to turn them into mermaids. And do you know why the citizens want to follow him? Not because he has proven himself, or because he has shown leadership skills that exceeds his brother's, but because he got his girlfriend pregnant first and all the people of Marin view this as a sign. His brother wasn't having sex with his girlfriend so of course she wouldn't be pregnant. So the people of Marin forget about all the current king did for his people to keep them safe, and align themselves with his insane brother because he knocked up his girlfriend.

Later on, the main character, Miranda, makes a speech about storming the castle with a bunch of civilians with no battle plan whatsoever, no weapons, no exit strategy, or no idea about what their actually going to do once they go inside the castle walls. And the hundred or so people she's gathered are just like, "You'll make a great queen, Miranda," seemingly overlooking that just days prior everyone was pledging their allegiance to the crazy king.

I feel like a lot could have been done with this story, but it all, as I said before, crashed and burned with plot that makes no sense half the time and expects the reader to just follow along as it goes around in circles, and a civilisation of idiots who feed people to sharks as capital punishment and are so easily manipulated it has gone past the point of believable. Though the ending does offer a hook that makes me a little curious, I can't stop thinking about how much I disliked the world of Marin and its people. I don't think I'm going to bother with the next one.

[Hannah L (Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impulse is the second novel in the Submerged Sun series. Continuing the story Miranda Sun, as she turns eighteen years old she returns to the underwater city of Marin and her true love; King Marko. In this dramatic romance story, Miranda is confronted with new mysteries and challenges that are cropping up in Marin. Impulse is a riveting story that transitions very well from Submerged Sun. In the Atlantis-like city, danger and suspense is rising.
The story is very creative and passionate. It has a very consistent and strong narrative and is very good at playing with the readers emotions. I did have a bit of trouble with the conclusion of Impulse. Mainly because it was a huge cliff hanger and the third book is not yet published. I can't wait for the third novel to come out and continue the series. Impulse draws in the readers and takes them on an emotional ride along side the characters. If I'm honest, I admit, I cried a bit reading this book. Ultimately I really liked Impulse and give it the honest rating of FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!

Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...

[Angelique The Gilded Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. I literally squealed when this arrived in my mail yesterday. I had ordered it on December 16th, 2014 and was really worried something had happened along the way. It was coming from Australia but most international purchases I have made made it in 2-3 weeks. Anyway, the point is, it finally showed up and I could get my Marko/Robbie fix! Plus, look at that gorgeous cover!

Vanessa Garden did it again with Impulse. Not only that, but she managed to exceed my expectations for this book. The characters were developed, the intrigue and plot thickened, and the romance was so different this go around!

Read the full review at: http://angreads.blogspot.com

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5.

Impulse was definitely engaging. I so didn't empathise with the characters this time round, and the plot felt confusing and unnecessary at many points, however it kept me wanting more and I finished it pretty quickly. I will probably read the next one just to find out what happens, tthough I am not craving it like I did this one at the end of Captivate.

[Renee Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!!

My favourite characters return for an action packed, addictive, awesome sequel to Captivate! So many twists and turns and craziness!

Seriously amazing!!!

Now the wait for the next one...... It's going to kill me!

[Emily Greenaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in one day even better that I've read it before its released in Australia!!! omg can I have the third book now? vanessa?

[Melanie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do people have to be so stupid? Answer me that. Why do people think that just because they are family that they are not evil and don't deserve the same punishment as anyone else would if the did the same thing. I don't understand. Characters like this make me so mad, but yet I keep reading these types of books. Maybe it's because this is really how people would react in real life.

IDK!!! But I must say I have really enjoyed these first two books.

I do love the characters even if they do make STUPID decisions most of the time.

I can not wait to dive into (no pun intended) the next and final book to this series. I have this feeling that I am going to cry, but I guess we will have to see when I write my review of the next book.

If you like underwater, mermaid type of books, then this series is for you. But it also has another twist to it. I would recommend this to anyone. HINT HINT to my best friend. She knows who she is!! Needs to read these. I think she will like them. Maybe not as much as me, but you never know. She always surprises me.

Happy Reading Everyone!!!

[Crystal Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost as good as the first one, but not quite.

I read reviews on this one before grabbing it, and I have to say that I disagree with much of what I read--by way of people's complaints. Maybe they didn't understand the characters? Maybe they were imposing their own perspective over top of the actual players?

There was a little whiplash in the political spectrum of things that I found slightly unbelievable, but otherwise, there was great tension and build. I look forward to the next installation.

Content warning: Swearing. Closed door relations.

[Hayley Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

See more at

www.distractingpages.weebly.com

4 out of 5

Some of you may have read my review on the first book of this series 'Captivate'. This book follows on exactly a year after Marko promises to wait for her on Bob's Bay beach if she wishes to return to Marin.

Of course she does and everything goes super chaotic - Damir's capture is questioned, Lauren is there, Sylvia is two-timing, Robbie's been hurt. SO much going on.

Infertility of Marin is a big focus in this book and the difficulties the entire civilisation faces with rulers and the future of their race. Miranda is a much more confident and exuberant presence in this book and I felt as if she really is herself when she is taking charge and caring for the well-being of others - much like Marko. I loved the emphasis put on the idea of putting others first and truly loving a people.

This book was a fantastic follow up to Book 1 and really held it's own. It was not a carbon follow up of the first book - but posed new plot twists and characters that shocked me and had me crying and swooning at the same time.

I really loved the character progression in this book and the way that each character held their own and added to the dynamic of the entire book - not simply an add on to the main plot, they actually contributed. Characters like Anne and Blake make another appearance and make a complete 180 in how they act and the situations that follows truly contribute to the entire story line - however small it may be.

Before I go on, I will explain my lack of 5 stars - I felt the book could have been longer. I just finished a 700 page novel this morning and maybe was just shocked at the difference in length. However I felt as if some scenes and plot lines could have been more deeply explored and still retain the same ending - the relationship between Marko and Miranda I felt was underexplored and I would have liked to see more scenes between them (hoping for Book 3). However, this book is in no way incomplete and definitely holds its own as an amazing follow up novel to an amazing debut.

I loved the vast array of plot lines and twists and the amazing difference in characters it included, other companion characters like Lauren, Robbie, Svetla, Sylvia, Damir and Jonathon made constant appearances in a vast majority of the plot twists adding to the constant confusion and complicated atmosphere mirroring the chaos in Marin. All the plots seemed to culminate at the end, and when I scanned back I noticed the various clues in seemingly unrelated issues - proving the sheer brilliance of this book.

Plot lines like - Robbie's injury, Lauren's 'issue' (no spoilers :P), Damir's seeming freedom, Sylvia's treason, Anna's questionable new job, the reappearance of the Mermaid book and the infertility of the entire city. Really added a dynamic depth to the entire situation that is Marin and made the civilisation that much more realistic.

I absolutely loved the parallels between book 1 and 2 and found them to truly culminate in a deeper understanding of the reader - I felt as if the legends and history and myths were built upon and truly developed a unique and special literary world that is Marin, making it extremely believable and addictive as it truly had depth and reason making it super hard to question.

Overall I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for book 3. The novel blew me away in its originality yet fresh take on the overdone 'underwater' life.

Well done Miss Garden,

Well done

Hayley

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miranda Sun has a big decision to make. It has been a year since Robbie returned her to the surface and to her life with her grandparents and older sister, Lauren. Not a day has passed since leaving Marin that she hasn't thought about the underwater city - and their handsome king, Marko. Making the decision to return to Marin isn't an easy one but at least this time Miranda will be there on her own terms - as a guest of the king and not as his captive. In the year since Miranda left many things have changed. Marko's brother Damir is causing disharmony in the dungeons and his sister Sylvia has her own agenda. Miranda knows not all is well with the underwater city and wants to help Marko save his people. This time her time in Marin is more personal than ever with friends in danger and families at the centre of the drama.

It was a pleasure to dive back in and explore the world of Marin with Miranda. She's a little bit older, a touch wiser and I was eager to see what kind of trouble would find her in the utopian city. Captivate was great at laying the framework for the series and in Impulse the characters and setting truly shine.

Miranda is growing as a person and it is a pleasure to watch as she becomes an adult. She's not ruled solely by her emotions and there are times when her head is at war with her heart. Her relationships with Marko, Robbie and her family are interesting to read with each one having a different dynamic. Her friendship with Robbie is lovely with their changes in their situations being somewhat heartbreaking. Marko is straining under the weight of his crown but Miranda can see with an outsider's perspective that his ruling of Marin is what is best for the people. I wasn't convinced by the romance element in Captivate but in Impulse - I was solved. I loved the development and how the love was more than just a result of two characters being thrown together. They have earned their happily ever after in my eyes.

I don't want to give too much away except to say I loved the events and drama associated with Marko and Miranda's families. There is an extra element of realism and emotion not present in the first book and it added a special something to Impulse.

The setting is beautiful and again it was a pleasure getting to experience the underwater city with Miranda. The differences between life on the surface as well as the similarities with our world and Marin were lovely to read and beautifully contrasted. In Impulse we get to find out a few more Marin's secrets and some of how the magic of the underwater city operates. The pacing was great and I found this novel a much more enjoyable read than the first in the series. Vanessa Garden is really coming into her own as an author!

If you enjoyed Captivate you will love Impulse. There is a touch of mystery, duplicitous characters, a gorgeous setting and a beautiful developing romance. The characters are interesting and the love interests are gorgeous. There's a magical element of the underwater city along with realistic and relatable family issues. Impulse was a treat to read and I can't wait to see what comes next for Miranda, Marko and Marin.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for the review copy.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

After reading Captivate last year, I have been eager to read the sequel to see what Miranda would do once she returned to Marin. Impulse continues a year after the conclusion of the first book, and it was still as action packed and surprising as the first book.

I liked how Miranda was willing to stand up for herself in the most part of this book. She is determined to save Marin and will do anything she can to see that Marin’s fertility returns. When it comes to her feelings for Marko, however, she is hesitant to act on them.

Marko has grown as a person since Miranda left. He has taken on a lot of work, but I could see that he was excited to have Miranda back. He is still very passionate about his city and with Miranda’s help, he wants it to thrive again. Robbie was a different person in this book, because of something that he has been through, but it was still nice to see that he is still willing to do anything he can.

Lauren really struck a nerve with me in Impulse, so much so that I REALLY don’t like her. I can tell you now, if I had a sister like that I would disown her. There were so many times she pissed me off and I just wanted to throttle her!! Lol

Impulse was a bit of a rollercoaster ride! It was action packed and there was a lot of plotting going on. I was constantly wondering what was going on with Sylvia and Damir, trying to figure out what each of them wanted. The sparks are still there between Miranda and Marko, and their relationship becomes stronger throughout the book. Miranda’s story is far from over, and I look forward to seeing what happens next! If you like a good YA fantasy with a twist, try this series!!


Complimentary copy provided by Harlequin Teen Australia in exchange for an honest review.

[Tien · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that feeling when you see the sequel of a book you’ve read being published? Yes, almost always an excitement and then you’d automatically purchase (in this case, a request on NetGalley) the book before you realised that you really weren’t that keen on book 1. Oops! It was unfortunate that I wasn’t quite that keen on Captivate but I didn’t hate it plus I was somewhat curious about Miranda’s return to Marin so I gave Impulse a go.

There’s definitely no denying it now, Miranda is really really really annoying. Her tendency to think the best of some people or her naivety or blindness, whatever you want to call it, has really got to me this time. More than it was with Captivate because with Lauren around, this happened again and again and again… I would very much like to get my hands around Lauren’s throat, pick her up and bash her against the wall then I may shake Miranda a bit to get some sense into her. Or have I fallen into the author’s trap…? Is there some convoluted twist to be revealed later on? Am I reading too much into this… who knows!

Setting aside all the annoyance, I actually enjoyed the story. There were a number of unexpected twists which are always great in books and a couple of new characters which I’m very curious about. The romance wasn’t bad though I cringed a bit at some soppy-ness. I still, however, adore Marko and Robbie.

Impulse and I aren’t the best fit but I do know that some people love it so if you loved the first book, you would probably love this one too. If you were like me, you will find Miranda exasperating.

Thank you, Harlequin Books Australia for copy of eARC via NetGalley

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am at a loss for words. I don't even know where to start. First things first; this was a damn good book!!! Marko and Miranda were so awkward around each other at the start because they both thought that after a year the other person feelings would have changed (i.e. Miranda) or that the other person didn't actually like them as it was just the compulsion (i.e. Marko).
Sylvia is so very sly. In the first book it was unclear as to which side she was on and in this book she was switching. "Ooh, Damir will give me 'his' child and I will let him have the crown (except I will actually be controlling Marin and he will be the figurehead). Oh, but Marko has just promised me that his idea will work and I can have my own child - Goodbye Damir, better offer over here."

Great book. Love the plot twist!!! : D

[Aussie bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not disappoint, Vanessa Garden is a great stand out author and I can't wait to read her future books. Impulse carries on the story of Miranda 12 months after Captivate it is now her 18th birthday and she has to decide weather she will return to Marko.

Impulse is still full of action that has you clinging to your seat and not wanting to put the book down. I love the characters and the direction they head, Miranda is my favourite as she is so intent of saving Marin and the people she loves.

Overall I highly recommend the Submerged Sun Series for anyone who is suffering genre burn out, for a Y.A book full of twists,

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

-> Received a free copy to review
Such a gorgeous cover that I could not help but be intrigued by the story. To be honest I didnt read the first book and have jumped straight into the second and still felt that it was a pretty good read at first. At times it can feel a bit childish but I can see how it would have an appeal to some young teens but if you're looking for an actual plot this is not the book for you. Although you breeze through this book you realise that not much actually happens at all. Problems are set up (but I feel like they already existed or were hinted to be continued from the first book) and at the end in no way was anything resolved. It just kind of ended...

[Isabela Espíndola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu realmente amei este livro, e preciso dizer que fiquei mais feliz ainda em saber que haverá um continuação (provavelmente a partir de dezembro de 2015).
Impulse da continuação a historia de Miranda e o seu desejo de voltar para o reino de Marin, onde o jovem rei Marko a aguarda. Contudo o seu retorno não é bem o que ela esperava, e muitas coisas ocorrem a partir do momento em que ela pisa no castelo. Marko esta muito diferente, assim como grande parte do reino também. Miranda vai descobrir muitas coisas sobre a cidade, sobre Marko e sobre ela.
Uma pena que este livro ainda não foi traduzido para o português. Tenho certeza que muitos daqui iriam gostar de ler.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is it over??
The relationship development between Miranda and Marko is beautiful and the increased characterization and involvement of Lauren was great.. initially. I found her a bit annoying in some places but I think that added the development and interesting-ness of the characters. The way that this book followed I thought was great. I really can't wait for the next installment !!

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh it was good to get back to Marin and everyone involved with it. Marin just keeps revealing more of its mysteries, and it all makes it even more intriguing. Now I regret reading it so fast because now I have to wait even longer for the next book! I'm sure the wait will be worth it, though- the wait between the first book and this one certainly was.

[Cheshire · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel is just like any other Harlequin book. Such a beautiful cover though. Miranda and Lauren both appear shallow, naïve and utterly obsessed over each one of the Marin brothers. I wonder why there is only a few YA heroine's like Katniss Everdeen or Tris Prior. Even Elena Gilbert has more bite.

[L.L. Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Captivate, and was waiting patiently for the next one. Impulse doesn't disappoint. Wow the events in Impulse move along quite fast. There are so many twists and turns. I love Robbie, Marko and Miranda. I never really liked Lauren and by the end I really hated her. Btw that ending! Gasp! I need to know what happens next!

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love loving the submerged sun series ... expecially love how in impulse the polt seems that it's resolving and the book ending near and then boom straight back in there again one of those books you wish you could forget and read again and again ... but when is the third coming out I'm very impatient

[Amanda Woolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again this book was brilliant. Just as rivetting as Captivate I couldn't put it down and wait to see what happened next. Well written will definitely be looking for more Vanessa Garden books in the future :)

[Jessie Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing sequel, cannot wait until the next book.

[Anatea Oroz]

OMG! Impulse has a cover and a blurb now! I'm sooo excited to read it!