Alicia: The Awakening

Chosen #2

by Tianna Xander

Book 2 in bestselling Chosen series.

Alicia Chalmers has not had an easy life.

A victim of rape, circumstances force her into a loveless marriage for her own safety. It doesn't take long before she finds herself falling for her new husband, a man she hardly knows.

Gabriel LeBlanc has many paranormal powers and even more responsibilities but all he wants is his mate to love him. He marries Alicia not only for her protection but because he desperately needs to keep the other half of his soul close. He knows full well she may never overcome her past and return his feelings.

As the newlyweds struggle to build a life together, their future is threatened by rogue vampires, Satan worshippers and creatures from another dimension. The newlyweds pool their talents to fight the forces of evil that manage to slip into the world from another dimension.

Can Gabriel convince Alicia they were meant to be together regardless of what happened in the past and the very real threat that still threatens her?

Genres: Ebooks

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2006

Reviews

[Maria Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

loed it wonderful story Thank You

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series, and I have not read the first. However, the main characters were secondary in the first book, and there is enough back story provided to understand where each of the main characters stand and their history. Before the book begins the heroine had been terribly brutalized and had lived under fear of repeat attacks ever since. She also is uncomfortable being touched. To protect herself, she has agreed to a marriage of convenience to a man she finds incredibly attractive, but initially feels unable to move past her trauma.

So, the book starts with her dwelling on her pain and her desire to move past it. She receives a few comments that help her see things in a different perspective, and is able to start to be affectionate with her husband. However, she is still at risk for attack, although she doesn't seem to take that as much to heart as I'd expect.

While I didn't feel that her willingness to accept physical affection from her husband came along too quickly, I did feel that she would have been very freaked out in the standard sexual positions, given her earlier history. I also felt that given her inability to accept that her new husband is not human, that she makes an inexplicable and sudden decision to be like him. She knows nothing about him, but suddenly wants to be changed? It doesn't make sense. Then she goes from moping victim to cocky sharp shooter when she is in the position to make a rescue. It was like whiplash over and over.

Overall I felt the book was a bit shallow on the interpersonal relations, and very reactionary in its characters' actions. It was a quick and easy read, but really strained even disbelief at times.

[ValerieC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only gave this a 2 star rating only because I actually liked the H, Gabriel's, character quite a bit. I read this book by mistake before I read Book 1, 'Virgin's Blood'. (I do not recommend it, either.) Anyway, read 'Virgin's Blood' first or you might feel that the first chapter explaining more details is missing.

Alicia belongs in a psych ward, even if she is a rape victim. Talk about a nut-case! And she is snarky, foul-mouthed, swats and hits Gabriel constantly, calls him a goon, and generally acts like a Jr. High chickie from the wrong side of the tracks that can't make up her mind about anything. I do not believe that this guy would spend any time at all with her, mate imperative not withstanding. They have nothing at all in common.

I have a lot of Ms. Xander's books (10 besides these two) and none are this bad (or I would've quit reading her stuff a long time ago).