Верум

The Nocte Trilogy #2

by Courtney Cole

Меня зовут Калла Прайс.
Мир вокруг меня превратился в бескрайний океан, тайны которого затягивают все глубже.
Могу ли я доверять кому-то?
Я не знаю ответа, потому что вокруг одна ложь.
И даже Дэр, человек которого я люблю, скрывает нечто темное за закрытыми дверями своего фамильного поместья.
Я потонула во тьме, но верю, что истина меня освободит. Вот только у нее есть клыки, которыми она готова разорвать мой разум в клочья.
Вы напуганы? Я очень.

Genres: New Adult, Mystery, Romance, Dark, Contemporary, Young Adult, Paranormal

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 30, 2015

About the author

Courtney Cole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist who loves to eat your emotions for breakfast.

She believes in the power of blonde hair dye and red lipstick, and that a well-timed smile can save the world.

Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolecreates.com

Find her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/courtneyc...

Reviews

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW
5 Kiss Your Sanity Goodbye At The Door Stars

I'm unsafe.
And he has found me.
What a strange thought.
But then again, I'm a strange girl

I um stunned stupid. Utterly speechless. Blown the fuck away by this book. I can't even describe to you what it did to me.

I was a fan of Courtney Cole before this series, but now? I'm convinced that the woman is an evil genius. I don't even want to know what went on inside her head as she was writing it. But I can definitely tell you what went on inside mine...a whole lot of crazy.

Let's touch on the biggest thing here: the writing. It is out of this world phenomenal. The way that Courtney paints a picture through her words makes you think you're going crazy right along Calla. No joke. The utter vividness of the madness is something that jumps right out of the pages at you. I had goosebumps the entire second half of this book as I was reading it.

The truth is stark.
The truth is hurtful.
I lay it out there, like flesh flayed open, like pink muscle, like blood.

Calla agrees to allow Dare to take her back to where it all started; Whitley. A place where Calla's grandmother lives. A place where secrets are buried deep but are also bubbling to the surface of Calla's mind. Confused? You should be.

They can't get to me.
I won't let them.
I don't know them.
And I don't want to.

While Nocte answered one question, only to leave us with a million worse, Verum is five times worse. There's a secret that Calla is struggling to unearth from her mind. But her mind is still a fragile and broken thing. She knows that she's in danger, but she doesn't know from what...or from whom.

Dare is my heart, but Dare isn't a light. He's my darkness.

The entire book Courtney dangles this secret in front of you like a carrot. It was absolutely maddening. You're left almost salivating and twitching to know what it is.

The truth will set us all free.

I know it feels like I'm giving you absolutely nothing, and that's the only way to go into this book. Absolutely blind. You simply have to experience this madness right along with Calla.

He's a weapon, armed for obliteration. And if I'm not careful the obliteration will be my own.

While Verum unearths quite a few dark secrets from the past, it will leave you with a thousand more questions.

I tend to be a very analytical reader. I will pick apart every detail trying to figure out a plot twist or a mystery as I read, and most often than not, I'm usually on point. It's a rare thing where a book manages to take me by complete surprise. And Verum managed to do just that. I read it in one sitting. It's just not a book you'll be able to put down. You'll be reading it with your heart in your throat feeling like you're going mad until the very last page. And that, my friends, is where Courtney Cole manages to throw in a mother of all plot twists. As a matter of fact, I have a pretty good mental image of what I'm assuming she looked like as she was writing it...

Yeah. It was killer.

I absolutely cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the conclusion of this mind-blowing trilogy.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

For more reviews visit

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

**SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**

5 STARS! ★★★★★



"We all have our parts to play, and I'll play mine well."

To say I'm left gobsmacked by this read is probably a huge understatement because let me tell you..I AM COMPLETELY STUMPED BY THIS ONE. I'm still trying to figure out how to process all my thoughts into words because this read has rendered me speechless by the end of it all. I felt like my world has spun off its axis because there was just no telling which way is up or down.

If you think Nocte was all kinds of batshit crazy and if you think you've known it all, just wait till you get to Verum.

Buckle up and get ready to walk the fine line between sanity and lunacy. Be prepared to let your mind be obliterated by the truth.

"The truth is coming, child. Be ready for it."

Verum picks up directly after the ending of Nocte which left us dying with that burning question Calla needed to ask Dare. However, the answer to that is one that Calla must seek on her own. With this instalment, Calla & Dare must travel back to where it all begins, back to their roots in Whitley where their family estate resides. But in a house full of secrets, Calla will slowly begin to question everything she's known about her life and above all, the people she love most.

"You have to help me, Calla. Help me save you."

Reading Verum was like stepping into a labyrinth with a creepily eerie feeling that trickles down your skin as you navigate through it without an ounce of knowledge of what lies ahead. What the author nailed in this read is putting her readers in Calla's shoes and alongside her, I too felt the confusion, fear and the constant self-distrust of my mind in choosing to believe what has been laid out in front of me.

"My mind is a deep ocean and I'm drowning."

In moments that you've think you're closer to the truth, Courtney Cole pushes you through another door and presents you with a new maze. In a read that is so utterly mind-boggling and mind-bending, I was tumbling down the rabbit hole and there is no stopping from knowing what’s certain and what's not.



If you're going to look for answers in this book, you won’t be disappointed. But know that with each answer comes a bigger question in play and even bigger plot twist(s) like never before. I've read a good amount of mindfuckery books but holy pigs and cows, this one truly takes the cake. I didn't see it coming from a light year away and my jaw dropped when I start to digest everything. I was left stumped at yet another mind-blowing revelation which in turn left an ending that painfully crippled me and had me begging on my knees for the next one!



No doubt my brain is still frazzled trying to decipher every bits of the truth but making sense of it all would prove to be a futile attempt, so my advice to you is just to enjoy this crazy ride you'll be on. The fact that Courtney once again dangles her readers off a precarious cliff, it really does make you wonder what goes on in that amazingly wicked mind of hers.

The plot complexity, the continuous mind-tripping and the gripping mystery that looms within; all of which that made this series completely enthralling and unputdownable.

I absolutely cannot wait for you guys to read this one and speculate once again where the final book will take us ;)

Verum is the second instalment in the Nocte trilogy and MUST be read after the first book, Nocte. Verum will be released on February 2nd, 2015.

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

P/S: Nocte is on sale for $0.99 now if you haven't gotten it yet! CLICK HERE

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!



Reading this book just about turned me into a loonie bird. I kid you not, I was either muttering to myself or screaming obscenities at my iPad demanding answers. By the time I got to the end, I was just gobsmacked by the final twist the author threw in. I’m talking jaw-on-the-ground, stunned speechless, repeatedly uttering WTF over and over again kind of twist. I never saw it coming. But first, I need to backtrack to the beginning...



This book picks up directly after the cliffy ending of the first one, and oh boy, the tension was high from the start! Calla and Dare have finally reached the point where secrets can no longer be hidden, and to find their answers, they go back to the root of their problems…back to Whitley. Even though she loves him, Calla knows she can’t trust Dare until all their secrets are laid out in the open, and Dare is determined to make that happen.

Plot-wise I really can’t say much more or I’d be venturing into spoiler territory. What I can say is that what you read won’t be what it seems. The entire book was one gigantic mindfuck. The twist at the end – quite wicked of the author I have to say – is the kind that clears up everything else you’ve read prior to that point. I love revelations like those, and yet they’re also pretty risky, which is the reason why I had to drop a star from my rating. Up until the last quarter of the book, I honestly was so frustrated. I got tired of the same old excuse thrown around so many times I could recite it from memory –

“Why can’t you just tell me everything right now?
Because I can’t. Because things are complicated…”

Yeah…not a fan of drawn out plots lemme tell you. But like I said, the twist at the end is the kind that makes you re-evaluate everything you’ve read up to that point, and now that I have, it’s really quite brilliant! It was like a mindfuck within a mindfuck. The author seriously handed me my brain on a platter without an apology.

The way this book ends perfectly sets up the story for the 3rd and final book that will hopefully bring some closure and a whole bag of answers! Though there’s one main theory going on in my head right now and I’m not so sure I want answers since I may not like what I get...oh what am I saying? Of course I’ll be reading the next book as soon as I get my hands on it!



Verum is book 2 in the Nocte trilogy and must be read after book 1. It’s not a standalone and the story will conclude with the final book Lux.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Run, little mouse. The hawk is coming, and you’re going to get eaten.”

What did I just read? Its prequel stunned me with a law-dropping finale that I never saw coming, but this book kept me clueless and concocting a million different scenarios in my head until the very last page. And I still have no idea how to process all that has been unveiled and all that is yet to come. Ms Cole did not write just a sequel to an already brilliant storyline. No. She wrote a perfectly executed mind game to keep us glued to our seats, breathless, baffled, frustrated, intrigued, and utterly addicted to a story like no other, a story that stays with us, plays out in our heads over and over again, trying to untangle itself, only to leave us even more knotted up and mind-wrecked. I have to admit that I never saw any of it coming and I already cannot wait for more more more.

“I’ve failed you. I’ve failed you. But I’ll fix it.”

We left our heroine, Calla, facing a heart-shattering realisation, one that is still capable of pulling her mind into a whirlpool of hallucinations and delusions. Now more than ever, she is desperate for answers and hungry for the truth. However, no longer certain of her own memories or the intentions of those around her, she feels emotionally stranded and distrustful of everyone, especially of the man she still deeply loves, Dare. The more questions she asks him, the more unforthcoming and aloof he becomes, his constant hot-cold manner confusing her and making her feel even lonelier than she is.

“Secrets are the same as lies, and I must uncover his truth.”

When told that all the answers would be found at Whitley, her maternal family’s estate in England, she agrees to follow Dare back to his homeland, even though a strong sense of foreboding overcomes her every time she tries untangling her memories. Her love for Dare is her only anchor in a sea of uncertainty and pain ravaging her young mind, that love giving her the strength to face a reality that terrifies her, haunts her, and only adds even more unanswered questions to an already overwhelming pile.

“…your mind is closed. You don’t see things for what they are, you see things for what you think they should be.”

Her stay at Whitley proves to be even more mystifying than she ever thought possible, the unwelcoming air of the centuries-old estate and Dare’s increasing standoffishness further blurring her mind and weakening her grasp on reality. She is left to her own devices, free to roam the property and follow clues, each day uncovering more and more minute pieces of a puzzle that appears harder and harder to decipher, the picture slowly forming before her eyes terrifying her to her core. With the introduction of colourful new characters in this book, the story continually assumes new layers, offering answers that only throw us off course even further.

Once more, the journey into our heroine’s mind is as exhilarating as it is chilling. We flip those pages frantically, fuelled by curiosity and parched for answers, but nothing is what it seems and, in the end, I felt like my own mind needed a torch to find its way out of the delicious web of secrets that this story weaved so faultlessly. The chilly seaside setting has been replaced by the misty moors of the English countryside, but the atmosphere of these books remains the same, Calla’s sombre surroundings playing as important a role in the story as her own inner battle. From beginning to end, I could not put this book down, absolutely hypnotised by its poetic prose and inconceivable twists and turns, and I am still dwelling on it all.

“Why are you suddenly being so nice?”
“Because you’re mine, Calla. You just need to remember it.”

See this review on my blog! | Follow me on Facebook! | Follow me on Twitter!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1yT63qa
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1odOWP0
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1Eezypo

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

...
I have no idea how to review this. I spent an embarrassing amount of time, completely confused about what is actually happening in the story.

"The end is the beginning. Don’t you understand?"

Vague. That sums up about 90% of this story. Calla arrives in England, looking for answers to questions, she does not know. Apparently everyone else knows what is going on, but no one will tell Calla. Secrets are around every corner.



Verum has a very eerie vibe, and left me questioning everything. And while somethings are cleared up, each answer seems to lead to more questions. I feel like I've been taking crazy pills, and my brain hurts. That said, I am looking forward to the final book. I think ;)

[Christie«SHBBblogger»]

Title: Verum
Series: The Nocte Trilogy #2
Author: Courtney Cole
Release date: February 2, 2015
Rating:No rating
Cliffhanger:Yes
HEANo



Well, she's done it again. Courtney Cole has managed to lead us down a dark and twisted path fueled by our foolish curiosity and ending in a loss of all sense of time, space, and gravity. Frankly, I didn't know what it was I just read, but it wasn't like anything I have ever seen before. It's virtually impossible to keep your mind from spinning up, down, sideways, diagonal...and then back to where you started with no clear answers. There are questions upon questions, upon questions. Not a bleeding answer to be seen. I was originally going to go with a 5 star rating based on the sheer ingenuity alone. Because I can guarantee, there is not one book out there that even comes close to the madness contained inside these pages. I mean, seriously,

This.
Book.
Is.
One.
Long.
Acid trip.
You think I'm joking, don't you?

Reading this book is like one of those rides at the carnival that spin you around so fast, make you anxious, giddy, and sick.



You're just praying to get off in one piece, but when the ride comes to a grinding halt, all you can say is, Save me!"More!!"

BUT: She's twisted this plot into the tightest, unrelenting knot, I'm not even sure how she can keep the rope from fraying when we try to uncover what's underneath it all. Can she satisfy my desperate need for REAL answers?? So I'm reserving my rating until I escape from the asylum she's put me in read the conclusion.

I trust nothing anymore. Nothing. I never thought I could get so hopelessly tangled in the book's mysterious secrets, truths, gothic houses and hooded men, black eyes, calculating people, ominous growling and whispering....



I thought I would be somewhat prepared after reading the chilling tone of Nocte. I knew the ending would be harsh, but I really wasn't prepared for what this book entails. Our second trip into Calla's thoughts brings you on a painfully morose and desperate course. Poor Calla is floundering in an unfamiliar house, in an unfamiliar country, just trying to recover from the events in the previous book. The menacing feeling engulfing her could be from the people who surround her.

Or is it just the dark recesses of her mind that's causing all this uncertainty? No one is safe from suspicion-not even herself.



What really threw me off was that so much of this book was written in this disjointed, repetitive prose. Nothing in this book is static or finite. Every sentence is like a flickering flame jumping around from one scene to the next in the blink of an eye. And that's how she keeps us all on our toes. But then again, that's the beauty of it, right? Right??

I will say one thing about these books. They may be a quick read, but there's nothing easy about them. Once you sit down with one of these torture devices in your hands, there's no escape until you're done. Be prepared to turn yourself inside out trying to find out just what's in store for Calla next. And be prepared to fail.



Honestly, If I met up with the author in a dark alley, I don't know if I would kiss her for coming up with this warped story, or run screaming into the night. Until I finally get some answers in the final book, I reserve all judgement until I see how it all comes to a close.



FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ~ 4 Stars

[image error]

You know the part of the Wizard of Oz when Glinda tells Dorothy something like oh you had the power to go home all along and you’re like hold the f-up? How come every time Dorothy tried to talk to you, you quickly left in your damn bubble instead of just telling her, well this book felt like that. Every time Calla asked what has happened or what am I supposed to remember she got these types of responses:

”Why can’t you just tell me everything right now?

Because I can’t. Because things are complicated…”


Dare brings Calla to England to grandmother’s estate to rest and find the truth. Things are frustrating and intriguing at the same time. We are introduced to several new characters and I think we find out what Dare told her that she has repressed but I can’t be sure. I just wanted to SHOUT at all of these characters…




For the most part I was pretty confused by all the evasive responses...

”The end is the beginning. Don’t you understand?”



I was totally frustrated and intrigued with this read. This second installment was indeed entertaining especially the whole WTF ending so I’m not sure what is going on and if I got what the author wanted me to get from it. I’m holding out hope that the final book will clear it all up.

”Run little mouse. The hawk is coming, and you’re going to get eaten.”

[~♡AB♡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry to say that I was bored for the 3 hours it took me to read this book. Nothing is real, Or is it? Is she dreaming or isn't she? It was 3 hours of nothing. And I am obviously missing the big twist because I was totally underwhelmed.

I am really hoping Lux blows me out of the water because Nocte was amazing and I loved Dare in that. In this one, not so much :(

[S.M. West · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 "I'm the rabbit" STARS

"It's a rabbit hole and I'm the rabbit and I'm crazy."



verum: truth



Truth. There were many truths revealed in this second book but as for which are real or imagined, your guess is as good as mine!



I'm still not sure what I read and what it means. It's like I was given more puzzle pieces but it's not for the puzzle I'm working on!




This was frustrating and confusing as hell yet I was glued to my Kindle. I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen...a lot of good that did me!



In the second book of this series, the web gets more complex and sticky and I got tangled up until I didn’t know which end was up. The eerie feeling that shrouded the first book continues yet a strong prominence and chill of death also permeates this second book.



As for Calla and Dare, they do this weird and cryptic dance throughout the entire novel and I truly have no grasp as to what's real and what's not.



I have a sinking feeling as to what might be the case but we've already established that when it comes to this series, nothing is ever what it seems so who the hell knows! okay, I have to unload my thoughts/theories because otherwise I feel like I'm cracking up...here goes - I'm thinking either the whole unraveling of Calla's mind takes place while she's in a coma OR this whole thing is not real, they are all dead




**An ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**

For more reviews and blog posts.

[Aestas Book Blog]

Holy #%$@!!!! I need this book yesterday!!!

Book #1 review ➜ http://bit.ly/1tAl66H



RELEASING: FEB 2015

[Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Run, little mouse. The hawk is coming, and you’re going to get eaten.”

Man !, this really know how to play with your mind.

Seriously guys, I'm a mess right now





It was so good !! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

Again I can say that this reading is crazy, they had said to me that was like Mara Dyer style (trilogy which I love), but I do not seem to be as well, in fact I think that this book is a thousand times crazier than anyone I have read before .


I think this trilogy deserves many more readers!. It's so original, without arguing it has a very intelligent writing, where you never imagine what will happen next , I mean, NEVER!





The incorporation of the new characters, has been brilliant since they have contributed much to the plot! And I've loved one more time the landscapes where history elapses, which is in England, with the rainy and cold weather makes it even more creepy at times

“Dear Reader, Dante Alighieri said, in his Inferno: "Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.” Dante lied. Our fate must be worked for. It must be paid for. With tears. With blood. With everything we have. And it is not until the end, the very end, that we will know if it was worth it.”

Almost made me a heart attack, to that end so unexpected !!





Well , Courtney Cole has made me a fann and now , I want to buy all her books lol , in fact I think it's a brilliant writer, really, not many have the talent to keep you engaged with the story without getting bored for a second, leaving you on the edge of seat almost the entire book#Applause





So , I can be here and talk about how wonderful it was this book for me, but I can not without spoilers!, Again highly I recommend this trilogy especially for lovers of mystery, romance and unexpected endings ! :)

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

#VERUM brings us from Astoria, Oregon, USA to Whitley, England...



Do we all remember what happened in Nocte???? How it ended???

I have to admit, I did a little re-read when I found #VERUM on my kindle. But while I was doing that, I realized that I didn't forget a thing about what happened in the first book. It really was an extremely memorable story!!

Calla & Finn - the twins. The first book was told from both their POVs, only as it turned out in the end... PLEASE STOP READING NOW, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ #NOCTE!!!!!!

[image error]

...turns out Finn died on the same day their mother died....and Calla just couldn't deal with all that death in her life and she kind of checked out of it for a while. But now she remembers. And the most important person she finally remembered again is Dare. Her boyfriend ... he's been her boyfriend for months! Only she forgot about him. And he was so patient and stayed near her... which must've been really hard for the poor guy.



Now she can finally remember a bit more, and she can finally ask the last of her 20 questions....

The answer to that last question and so much more will send Calla & Dare to England.

To Whitley. Their family's estate.

Calla needs to go there to find the answers she so desperately needs.

And to take a break from her life - she needs to be far away from home & death for a while.

So the two of them fly to England. To the house where Calla's mom grew up.

Calla is supposed to find out what really happened and she needs to find out about the secrets Dare is still keeping....



But she only finds more questions and it seems as if she's slowly losing the rest of her sanity, the longer she's there.

She doesn't know who to trust and what to believe and how to go about finding her answers....

What will happen to Calla & Dare?
Will she find answers in England?
Can she ever trust Dare again
Will everybody die at the end?
Will there be a horrible Cliffhanger???



Nope, I'm not telling you ☺



Ok - I can tell you that there won't be a horrible cliffhanging Cliffhanger, nobody will literally hang off or fall off a Cliff (probably☺) - but... we still WANT/NEED/HAVE to read Book #3 ASAP! ☺
_________________________________



I REALLY LOoOVED THE BOOK!

I was sooo excited when I found the book on my kindle - I was waiting to read it for what seemed like forever!!!

I loved #NOCTE so much and I needed to know what would happen to Calla & Dare!



And now I know. Well, at least I know a bit more than I did after finishing #NOCTE ☺

It's still all very confusing and mysterious and suspensy though.

And heartstoppingly shocking!

I would even say it's some kind of complete psycho-mind-efff ☺

I love Dare, more than anything, but I can't trust him.

I loved every second of it.

Even though I was totally confuzzled most of the time ☺☺

Just like in the first book, you imagine what could've happened, what will happen....

But you really have no idea, and you're just scared that you won't like whatever it is ....



And just like with #NOCTE you just can't help but LOVE every word of the story.

We just love Dare so much, and whatever it is he did or whatever his secrets are, we just want the two of them to get their happy ever after....

BUT... who knows when or if that will ever happen ☺☺☺

Because the END of #VERUM ??? d DOUBLE OY!!!!!





This gif might be the best description of the NOCTE TRILOGY:



I loooooved it - and I won't say more than that - everything more I could and would want to say about VERUM would be a spoiler!!!! You need to get yourselves to amazon on February 2nd and one-click the hell out of this book!!!!!!

And now please Courtney - hurry with book #3 LUX!!!!!!! I need to know how this will all end!

[Jessica Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’re not safe, Calla. You have to come with me now. There’s something you need to know.

Verum, like Nocte, is a tenuous journey between sanity and lunacy, between deciphering reality from the chaotic depths of a lost mind. What is real and what isn't? And can a person who deems themselves crazy ever really see the truth when they don't trust their own mind to know the difference?

My mind is a hollow reed and the breeze is blowing through it, blowing all of the pieces away. I want to chase them, but I can’t.

Courtney Cole creates another mind boggling house of illusion of sorts in Verum, where the reader is right along for the ride with Calla, questioning what is real. As the reader, I was completely immersed in this character's confusion, her paranoia, her distrust of her own mind. I could imagine what that would be like, to see things with my own eyes, to touch them, hear them, see them, but doubt my own senses. It's another mind-tripping maze Courtney Cole delivers in Verum, and I knew, just as in Nocte, that nothing would make sense until it does, to take in every detail but not commit to any of it because Cole would ultimately flip everything I thought on it's head.

The end is the beginning.

Calla is lost. After the events of Nocte, her loss, her grief, her realization that everything she believed was wrong, Verum begins with her final question to Dare... A question Dare insists Calla already holds the answer to, but must remember on her own. This is her journey back to the beginning, back to the place it all began. But Calla is on a precarious cliff and there's no telling whether the truth will save her.

I’m floating in an ocean of insanity. It’s just ahead of me, so close I can touch it. But even though it shines and glimmers, it has glistening fangs and I know it will shred me.

Verum has a drastically different, but no less creepy, setting than Nocte. The story unfolds with Calla struggling to remember, remember something frightening and difficult enough to cause her brain to have expunged it in the first place. She walks the halls of this creepy, gothic house, in the dark, grey, dreary English moors, exploring her mother's childhood home. She talks to Finn, to Dare, hears voices and senses something doesn't want her there, all the while getting brief fragments of memories long forgotten. This book might be even creepier than the first. Knowing what Calla has been through, what truths she came to know in Nocte, Verum reads much differently. Verum takes the reader through this odyssey right along with Calla, but neither ever really knowing with certainty what is real, what is imaginary, what is her cracked brain tricking her into believing. It's genius what Courtney Cole has done here once again, carrying her characters and her readers through this labyrinth of illusion versus reality, consuming them with a story you're not sure you can believe. As the reader, you are Calla, doubting everything you see and hear, questioning what's real, uncertain about the reliability of your own senses. And what's more terrifying than not having your own gut instincts to protect you?

I was blown away by Nocte. But dare I say it, the writing and the story development in Verum trumps the first book. Just when you think you have answers, you're inundated with even more questions. I felt the confusion, the inability to decipher truth from nonsense, even more significantly in this book. It's trippy, there's really no other way to describe it. Courtney Cole's Verum takes the reader on a journey that goes against everything that is natural, forcing the reader to doubt everything they read, see, feel, trust and just wait to see how it all unfolds.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG THIS FUCKING BOOK!

I don't think I've ever been has frustrated with a book like I was with this one!! I absolutely love the first one and was waiting anxiously for this one to come out but honestly it was really hard to get into it. At first it felt like I was going round and round in fucking circles chasing my own tail like a damn dog! I know that's exactly what the author wanted and she achieved it with flying colors but for me it kinda felt like nothing really happened. I did like the book and holy fucking shit I did not see those twists coming but fuck im dizzy from it!! And the cliffhanger! KILL. ME. NOW!! Damn it!! I'm gonna read some fluffy shit now my head is still spinning!

[warhawke · Rating 5 out of 5]

POV: First Person - Female
Rating:






Verum began with Calla agreeing to go to Whitley, England with Dare to her grandmother’s estate. She was supposed to be in recovery mode after learning of the truth unveiled at the end of the first book. But as she meandered through the ground of the stately estate she met new people and situations that offered more questions than answers.

Yes, that’s all I’m going to say about the storyline because you have to experience it yourself. Let it take you down the rabbit hole then allow yourself to float in a sea of insanity in order to appreciate the beauty of the story.



When I read Nocte, I didn’t foresee the revelations. I only realized how brilliantly the clues were subtly presented throughout the book after the truth was unveiled.

So when I started Verum, I took that in mind. I started looking for clues and much to my dismay, I started to put things together and figured things out along the way. I didn’t like that because I wanted to be surprised. Because of that I thought I wasn’t going to like this one as much as I did with Nocte.

However, just as I thought I uncovered everything, I was suddenly blindsided by the last chapter. The rug was violently pulled from under my feet, I tumbled down, hit my head hard, and now I can’t trust the truth anymore!



One of the things I love about this book was the location. I love the gloominess of the environment, inside and outside. One of my favorite new characters was the boy with the hood. He seriously scared me.

As much as I love this one, I am worried about what’s coming in the next book. It has to blow everything out of the water. Can Courtney Cole repeat the success for the third time with Lux? It’s a tall order, but I surely hope so.

With that, I’d like to end this with a quote from the book that perfectly summed up my feeling about this series:




P.S.: I think this book is one of the most quotable books I’ve read. There’s so much exquisiteness in the metaphorical phrases that I want to include in the teasers so forgive me if there's too much graphic lol!




For more reviews/promos/giveaways visit:

[Norah Una Sumner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed.

What the hell was this?The first one was so believable and interesting,this one is a typical freaking filler book.Ugh,I hate filler books.I need to sort my thoughts:

1.) I've suspected that Dare's step-father is Laura's brother,but I don't recall that being actually mentioned in Nocte?So,when I started reading this one I was really confused because they just insist on going to England without mentioning the connection between Dare's and Calla's family.
2.) What exactly was the point of this book? I loved the writing style in the first book but in this one the writing style,billion short sentences that don't actually mean anything, irritated the hell out of me.I mean,after 180 pages of Calla asking:''Dare,tell me you secret,please?'' and him answering: ''You're almost there,I can't tell you now.'' I was starting to get seriously bored.
3.) The ending...what kind of fuckery is this? was the first book also a dream or what? And,Jesus Christ,is Finn dead or not?I don't even know anymore. This whole trilogy is starting to get unrealistic.I'm guessing that we will get our answers in the last one,Lux.
4.) Dare is...WHAT? DEAD?NOT REAL?HERSELF?HER DOCTOR?FUCKING ANGEL OF THE LORD??



BYE.

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verum (The Nocte Trilogy, #2) by Courtney Cole
5 stars!!

“Protect me. Protect me. Protect me.”

I have to say that when I finished this book I was speechless, my brain was frazzled and I struggled to form coherent sentences. I was totally immersed in this story and just when you think you know what is going to happen, something comes along and swipes the rug from under you. Courtney Cole has this knack of leading you one way, only to do a total 180 and take you completely in the other direction and your brain struggles to keep up, you have to be on your toes and absorb what you are reading, I am sure the clues are there, but for me it was just one total mind bender of a book, but it was so so good. This is one of those reads where I was thinking about it for days after. I have theories on theories on theories, none of which I am sure are correct, but I still plot, even if it is just to release all the mumbo jumbo I have whirring around my brain at the moment.

“The end is the beginning.”

This book will keep you glued to the pages, you will be frustrated and confused but you will be gripping your kindle for dear life as Courtney Cole dazzles you with another instalment of an amazingly executed plot, that is so well written you cannot help but sit back and appreciate it. I am in awe and I am seriously wondering how her mind works, or should I just be scared?

“There’s savagery here, there’s grace. But above all, there’s oblivion and no matter what I do, I will be sucked into it.”

I found myself constantly wondering what was real, was it a figment of imagination, could it be dreams, could it be hallucinations or is it just the truth staring you straight in the face? You can’t help but question everything you read, but as you begin to digest and try to comprehend what you are reading you cannot help but analyse, or in my case over analyse. I highlighted like crazy so that I could go back over major plot points but after going back, it still doesn’t make any sense which only leads me to the conclusion that I still have no freaking idea what is going on and that is the master stroke that Courtney Cole pulls in this series, she has me hood winked, I am flailing about blindly but this is one story that I cannot shake and one story that I cannot wait to read the conclusion.

“I’m the rabbitrabbitrabbit and I’ll never be free.”

I am not going to go into any details as with a book such as this you need to read it for yourself, draw your own conclusions, have your own theories, try to comprehend what you are reading and formulate the points for yourself. You will probably be like me and end up with a migraine but you cannot help but cling to every morsel that Courtney Cole throws at you and devour it like it was your last meal.

“…and I’m brave, but my bravery will get me eaten. Whether he wants to be or not, he’s a wolf. And I’m a lamb.”

The setting changes in this book with Calla going back to Dare’s home, Whitley Hall, with a spooky and sombre setting such as is this stately home you cannot help but be drawn even further into this story. The vivid imagery that Courtney Cole conveys through her words only draws you further into Calla’s plight and gives the words you are reading life and a vision. The writing was so atmospheric, I had goose bumps, chills and shivers, I felt the fear, I was scared, my heart was pounding but that is the amazing thing about this book, it makes you feel.

“Run, little mouse. The hawk is coming, and you’re going to get eaten.”

There are a plethora of new characters introduced that only adds to the complexities of this story and will have you once again trying to unravel who is good, who is bad, who is evil, who has a hidden agenda, is all as it seems or is it really as bad as I think? At the end of the day I cannot wait for Lux, for now I have given up trying to fathom where Courtney Cole is going to take me, I am just going to sit back and enjoy the ride, I know it is going to be a roller coaster, I know it is going to be mind bending but I know that I will love every single word, every single scene, every bit of dialogue. The end is in sight, but I will I still be sane by the end? That is the million dollar question!!

“We’re all a bit mad, aren’t we?”

www.theromancecover.com

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

F@#k!

I’m speachless…and after that ending…

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Courtney Cole is seriously messing with me. And while I did predict much more in this than I did the first, I am still dying with anticipation with what exactly will be and will happen in book three.

Once again this was a crazy messed up ride and I loved every single minute of it, even the predictable parts and even the parts the contradicted each other, however frustrating it was at times.

I don't know how she does it, but she manages to suck me right into the story and I have to read it. I. Have. To.

In one sitting no less. Goodbye all those others things I needed to get done today.
None of it matters but this story and finally, finally learning the truth. Learning all the secrets and lies and horribleness.

And I did learn them. Most of them. Okay, not even close to all of them.

And now I want more. I want ALL of them. And I might go crazy because that ending about killed me. I won't accept anything less than a happy ending and now I fear I won't get it. Not at all. And I just might hate Cole for that. Just a little. And I might love her too, just a little.

So why the only 3.5 star rating? Because as much as I loved this, some of it was predictable and not a lot actually happened. Sure a lot was revealed but action wise, not so much. The hot and coldness of Calla towards Dare bothered me, a lot, and I am hoping everything with them will finally come to light in the last book, at least it better Ms. Cole, it better.

[Jessica~loves to hate a cliffy~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 WTF Stars

All it took was the prologue and I was like...


I'm going to describe my feelings in Gif's for this whole book because words just don't do it










Then that ending! I need the next one now!!!

[Markéta]

DNF: První kniha v tomto roce, kterou jsem se rozhodla odložit a nevracet se k ní, protože o ní nejevím NAPROSTO ŽÁDNÝ zájem.
Nehodnotím, dostala jsem se do poloviny a nic se neděje. Jediné, čím jsem si jistá, je, že se řeší nějaké tajemství, které ale hlavní hrdince nikdo nechce vyzradit. NUDA. Kdyby se dělo alespoň cokoliv okolo, jenomže všechny myšlenky a obrazy se neustále opakují.

[Dvillalobos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verum
UNBELIEVABLE! Literally..I’m absolutely astounded. What in the hell am I to believe?? How evil of Miss Courtney to leave me this way. I didn’t read in the blurb that it was suggested to have a dose of valium to survive this. WHAT..IN..THE..HELL???

I’m not sure my review will stray too far off the path of the rave reviews that most likely preceed it but I’m going to try to make it at original as I can.

Verum a mind fuck?…more like MIND MUTILATING! I’m so twisted right now emotionally and mentally, I don’t know right from left, up from down. This book has me seriously wanting to commit myself into the nuthouse. Good God, all the questions I compiled after Nocte; the conclusions I thought stood a chance at coming to fruition have just doubled and been shot all to hell. Never in my life have I highlighted so much in a single book hoping to connect the dots to solve the mystery. Who is real? Who is dead? What is the friggin secret? Nothing…I mean NO-THING could have prepared me for that ending. My advice, make sure you have a support group or at least one person to help you through this. So SO thankful for mine.

This book is creepy, suspenseful, shocking, eerie and depressing. Written with such detail that I swear I could smell the moss that covered the mausoleum, the musty air that filled the Whitley Estate, the shirt off Dare’s back. Beautifully and uniquely written. I’m doing something I hardly ever do and am rooting for a HEA. Damn it, Calla and Dare need and deserve it. If not, Courtney Cole just may be the present-day female counterpart to Shakespeare. (Minus the really old words, poems and shit.) Verum is a continuation of Nocte not in anyway an easy read. Side effects may include burning dry eyes, lock jaw, migraine, bald spots, urinary tract infection (cause you’re not going to want to stop for a potty-break) dehydration (not gonna want to strop for water either), loss of breath, mild heart tremors, spike in blood pressure, and an erection that may last more than 4 hours. **wait the last one doesn’t apply**

READ THESE BOOKS!!!
Note to Courtney Cole…. Please go easy on this here rabbit in LUX, I really don’t know if my poor brain or heart can take much more. YOU friggin ROCK MY WORLD.

ARC gratefully accepted through Twisted Sisters' Book Reviews

[Laurie –Read Between The Skylines– · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.3 STARS.

SO DISSAPOINTED.

And without the end it would have been almost a 1.

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” he says icily. “People generally deserve what they get”

All right, I deserve my disappointment for having to high expectations for this book.
Or perhaps Courtney Cole deserves my two stars.

In this book we follow Calla in Great Britain with Dare. I mean, come on, this had everything to be perfection.
Except it wasn’t. I loved the crazy part in the previous book, because to me it was attached to Finn, but now, with Calla there is no balance. The book is not halfway crazy but drowns in it. Too much, no clarity. And usually I love books about craziness, but here it is written in an unpleasant way, with a lot of repetitions and nonsenses.

It was boring.
boring.
boring.

I never once felt anything but displeasure towards the two mains character. And the sides ones were even worse.

I never had EVEN ONE feeling. The only other book that did that to me received a 1. But then, thanks to an original end, I decided to add a star.
Don't misunderstand me. The end was great compared to the book, but compared to all the other book’s end, it was O.K.



I don’t like people who speak too much of books they didn’t like and that I liked, so I’m going to stop my review here.
I won’t say “don’t read it” because I understand it can please some people, it just didn’t pleased me.

[Sammy ⭐️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to rate this

I don't know what the hell is going on

I'm completely lost and need some alone time with my thoughts

WTF did I just read

Even after sleeping on it, I'm still none the wiser. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn't keep up. I don't feel like I learnt anything new, because what the hell was real and which bits were in Calla's dreams. I'm praying that Lux is epic because right now I'm just not feeling this.

[Katrina♡•• · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am only 20% in and I am a mess. My heart cracked at the end of book 1. Why???? I can't help it. I burst into tears just at the mention of it.
why Finn???????? He was the only character I loved. Why???? I feel broken. Every time I have to read about him mentioned I am in tears. I don't think I can fully appreciate this series if Finn is dead

Update
So I finished it. It was OK. It didn't blow my mind. I still despise Dare. I mean what kind of name is Dare???? So not turned on. Anyway book 1 was better and I am in a bit of a suspense for book 3.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 utterly confused stars

I'm confused. Loved this, but I'm so confused. I need to know what the heck is going on!

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

1.) Nocte ★★★

"He takes my hand and I follow him,
Because I’d follow him to the ends of the earth."

[Mariana P. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Qué clase de libro es este???? Estoy más confundida que la complicadísima y traumatizada mente de Calla. Pensé que el primero era una cosa pero en este las cosas se tornaron bastante desordenadas, por así decirlo.
Quién está realmente loco? No sé
Quién está realmente muerto? No sé
Todo lo que Calla ve es cualquiera.
No sé que trata de decir con estos libros la autora.
Primero pensé que era un thriller psicológico, de hecho Nocte lo es pero Verum qué es?? Paranormal? Creo que se asemeja más a eso.
Lo leí enojada en todo momento. No le encontraba sentido.
Leeré el último para saber si vale la pena o no.

[Vani · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALGUIEN ME PUEDE EXPLICAR QUÉ ACABA DE PASAR?

[Brendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, me at the end...




In the middle of the book:





And then...



So I can say that everything sums up on this:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm having deja vu of that Nicole Kidman movie The others and I'm pretty sure told me that something similar happened in that Anime Captain Tsubasa or something like that . HUH! yeah I know...a bit crazy

This one was crazier than the first one and it made spill a tiny tear at the end...it was pretty good, like trying to go in Sherlock mode to figure out what's happening. XD

Full rev to come....