The Rare Pearl

Broken Water #1

by Jennifer W. Smith

In 1989 a hidden discovery found in a tiny New England coastal town sends 23 year-old Harmony Parker into an evolutionary altered realm. She uncovers a secret that not only connects her to this other world but could explain why her family members have mysteriously drowned throughout her life. Eager to find a way home, she solicits help from Kodiak Night, a conceited underwater treasure hunter. Kodiak knows this is a dangerous request, but he’s willing to risk his life in exchange for the rare pearl ring Harmony wears. This leaves her no choice but to surrender her heirloom. Harmony must complete her journey across alternate terrain, fight sea-monsters, and resolve the conflicting feelings she has for Kodiak. She will be tested—facing deep-rooted fears and struggling with awakening abilities she must learn to control. When her abilities are exposed, she’s pursued as an asset by an unexpected adversary which endangers those she comes to care for. All the while, the water god watches Harmony as her unique abilities have also roused his interest.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published March 13, 2016

About the author

Romance author Jennifer W. Smith lives in a quaint American town with her family, blue-eyed cat and rough collie.

A former flight attendant and interior designer, her love of travel, adventure, and her attention to detail are evident in her novels. Her debut novel, Flying Backwards is a romantic adventure inspired by her previous career as a flight attendant, She is currently writing the Landing in Love, a sweet and spicy, small-town romance series.

Her love of the New England coastline inspired the Broken Water Series, a romance and fantasy adventure.

Jennifer has written a children’s book series featuring grandparents teaching their grandchildren about birds.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/15/2019)! 🎁

[Jennifer Smith]

Can't wait for book 2 in the Broken Water Series!

[Shannon]

This book is good enough for me to read the second. It has some interesting ideas and the actual storyline was pretty cool. Though here's where it ends. The dialogue is good for the most part but not the best. The author needs to work on her characterization skills. Also she kept going to different character's thoughts anytime she wanted to which was frustrating to stay in the book. Also for romance.....eh. I hope to see if she has the characters go more in love with each other but we shall see... Also there is a lot of innuendos and sensual scenes in this book it is not a book for younger kids and maybe young teens.

[Audrey]

I want to start off by saying that Jennifer Smith is a wonderfully friendly person, who encouraged this young aspiring author when I met her. I bought her book not only to support her and her ambitions (which were akin to my own) but also because the story intrigued me. I wanted to love this book. I wanted to become engrossed in this world she created. I wanted to give this book an amazing review. And to its credit, I love the concept of this book. I love the ideas that Jennifer has penned, and I love the entire idea of this other realm. Unfortunately, it was poorly executed, which is greatly saddening because this story had a lot of potential. This book feels rushed. It is a short read, and this potentially epic story and world only spanned 280 pages. It was tragically too short, and left me wanting more. All of the major events felt rushed, and the book was just a series of one quickly-narrated important event after another with no real build-up in between. The characters had so much potential, and again I was disappointed when their development felt rushed. When certain characters died, I felt a twinge of the appropriate feelings, but they weren't as strong as they could have been if more time had been spent developing these characters into unique and real people. Harmony and Nakoma were the only characters that were well-developed, but unfortunately without a cast full of deep and well-developed side characters the story still felt flat. In addition, the overall quality of the writing was less than I expected, and included some big grammar mistakes at the end. I believe this is another symptom of the obvious rushing of the story's completion. There were multiple occasions where I exclaimed (out loud) "show, don't tell!", and there were some moments when the internal and/or external dialogue made me cringe. The main love story also felt rushed and underdeveloped, giving Harmony and Kodiak no reason for the initial attraction, let alone falling in love. At points the book was a chore to read and it breaks my heart because I really wanted to love it. Despite this, I still want to know what happens, so I am debating whether I will read the other two books. I love Harmony Parker's character and I care about what happens to her and to the other realm. I didn't want to give "The Rare Pearl" such a low rating. I think if this story were re-written, and the world, plot, and characters given the attention and good writing they deserve, this story would be phenomenal. The story's idea was amazing and I still loved it, but the execution was disappointing. I think more time and an additional editor would have done this book justice. I am looking forward to reading more of Jennifer's work. I think I will try one of her romance stories such as "Flying Backwards", since I suspect unfamiliarity with the fantasy genre may be the root of the problem. I still recommend that people read Jennifer's work and support this and other local authors.

[Theresa]

The premise of this book is good. Harmony is a girl whose entire family has died of drownings. While exploring a rundown hotel that her family was connected to, she stumbled upon some herbs that teleported her to another world. There, she discovers she is of mixed heritage between the race that occupies this world and the human world.

I enjoyed the characters, but the first half of the book moved very slowly for me. While I enjoyed seeing Harmony meet her family in this other world, the action was absent for this part of the book. The second half was more exciting, but it wasn't enough to make up for the first half.
I may try the 2nd book in the series at a later time.

I received this book in a giveaway.

[Natalie Alder]

The Rare Pearl is an enchanting story. In this fictional romance, the writer incorporated historical events to tell a story of a young woman with a life-long passion for grand hotel who discovers she has ties to another realm. Threads of appreciation for family heritage, struggles with morality in the face of death and forbidden love are explored while attempting to escape social discord, not only in the human world but in another realm the character had not known existed. The story held my interest despite encountering sections where main points were repeated or seemed somewhat drawn out. Lovers of romance and fantasy adventure would likely enjoy this book.

[K.M.]

Get ready for a wild ride through the ocean to another realm. In this exciting book, The Rare Pearl, by Jennifer W. Smith, Harmony Parker gets pulled out of her everyday life and plunked down in the middle of another world. The opening scene sparks a dozen questions right away , as well as a little fear. But not too much, which is important to me as a reader. I like a little tension and mystery, but I don’t want to be terrorized. Harmony hits the ground running, experiencing a birth and a death almost as soon as she arrives. She also has a recurring dream that expands a bit more every time she has it, giving her some clues to a tragic event in her past.

Random (fun!) notes from the book:

The “Wicked cool!” (p20) resonated with the New Englander in me.
When the author talks about the meaning of Harmony’s name (p34), it made me want to look up the meaning of my own name. So I did: It means 'pure':).
There is a character named Lynn (p34). I had to stop to take a picture of that passage and email it to my friend Lynn. :)
And this quote about the ocean air (p56): “One deep breath was all she needed before a sense of calm washed over her.” Me. That sums up the essence of me, right there in that quote.
You know that feeling when a great book ends and you feel a little lost? A pang of regret? Well, relax! This book is Book 1 of a series! Book 2 is The Forsaken Pearl , which will be out in September 2016. I can’t wait!
Check out my friend Jennifer’s website here: http://www.jenniferwsmith.com/

[Stefanie Jolicoeur]

After breaking into an old hotel (well known to us New Englanders) Harmony finds herself in a heap of trouble. Her first problem is figuring out how she was transported into an alternate realm where everything she knows is now different. The people, the places, all hint at something familiar, but this Dorothy is certainly not in Kansas anymore.

Ms. Smith does a wonderful job creating another world that is both exciting and scary making the reader wonder what they would do if they were thrust into Harmony’s shoes.

I found the characters interesting and engaging and at times, untrustworthy, leaving you wondering their true intentions for the traveler from another realm. Should Harmony trust the handsome strangers who vie for her attention? Are the people in charge truly interested in helping her?

As Harmony makes her way through the alternate realm on a quest to find the necessary items to get home, she learns secrets about herself and her family. We are left as Harmony finds herself the unsuspecting target of a new enemy and with much to figure out to reclaim her life.

I’m glad the series will continue with book 2 of the Broken Water series, Waves of Gold. Can’t wait to read it!

Review by Stefanie Jolicoeur
If you would like me to review your book, please contact me for details at: honest.reviews@comcast.net

[Tara Winters]

I enjoyed Jennifer's last book: Flying Backwards so I picked up this one as well. It was a great summer read complete with a paranormal spin and some sizzling romance. The backdrop of the story from the old hotel to the places Harmony finds to search for the truth behind her mysterious past are well described and vivid. I am looking forward to her next book!

[Hannah]

This was a great adventure with mystery and interesting realm details that the author explored. It had unexpected turns and good suspense! Looking forward to book two!

[Elena]

DNF