Trying to Live With the Dead (The Veil Diaries #1) in Reverse Harem? Anyone?

Dec 27, 2016 MaggieDerosa rated it really liked it

It's difficult to find reverse harems so when I do come across one, I get excited and read it no matter what. Unfortunately, quite a few are disappointing in that they are either extremely amateurish or not true reverse harem stories.

Color me surprised to find a gem in the rough with Trying to Live with the Dead.

Pro: This novel (which is satisfyingly lengthy at 300-ish pages) has all the hallmarks of a true reverse harem. 1) A large group of young guys (five in this story) who, 2) are extremel It's difficult to find reverse harems so when I do come across one, I get excited and read it no matter what. Unfortunately, quite a few are disappointing in that they are either extremely amateurish or not true reverse harem stories.

Color me surprised to find a gem in the rough with Trying to Live with the Dead.

Pro: This novel (which is satisfyingly lengthy at 300-ish pages) has all the hallmarks of a true reverse harem. 1) A large group of young guys (five in this story) who, 2) are extremely close with lots of shared history, 3) accept into their ranks the lonely, oddball girl who is new to town. There is no attempt to create sexual relationships between the characters; instead, the emphasis in the story is on demonstrating how the female character "clicks" seamlessly into their group, just like a puzzle piece. There is even a set of twins.

While the female lead (I feel) is often portrayed as a victim who needs the help of her guys to "save" her, Brunnemer's Alexis is a refreshing twist on this hallmark of reverse harems. Alexis, to put it bluntly, is a bit of a badass. She is damaged, true, but she is not beaten down. She doesn't need her guys to save her. Instead, they provide the support needed to help her in her struggle with the story's villain.

Despite the immediately apparent technical problems in the book (see the Con section below), I was swept up into the story. Each character has a backstory that makes him/her seem more real, more believable. I came to love the interaction between these characters and looked forward to the progression of the guys' relationship with Alexis. I especially enjoyed how, instead of there being an instant romantic attraction, at first she is accepted as simply a close friend and just one of the guys. The hint of something more is only addressed at the finale of the book.

Con: This book needs a second edit with a strong proofreader. The content of the story is excellent. I found the pacing of the story, the character development, and the creation of a greater continuous storyline leading organically into a sequel to be strong. However, what distracts the reader from these strong points is the continuous misuse of/missing punctuation. Any competent proofreader, though, should be able to clean this up easily.

Conclusion: Despite the obvious punctuation errors and a few other grammatical problems, I was swept up into Brunemmer's world. I believe this novel (though not perfect) to be a strong debut, and I eagerly await the sequel. I WILL be buying it.

**Warning: For the parents out there, this book is absent of any sexual content and any human-on-human malicious violence. However, there is a LOT of blue language. If you are sensitive about this, don't let your kid read this book. Personally, I didn't care. ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2016 Miranda added it

Like

Jan 02, 2017 Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reverse-harem

Like

Dec 18, 2016 Phoenix rated it really liked it

Shelves: reverse-harem

Like

Dec 26, 2016 Paula marked it as to-read-100

Shelves: reverseharem

Like

Dec 29, 2016 Brandy Slaven rated it it was amazing

1 like · Like

Feb 01, 2017 Jenna marked it as to-read

Like

Feb 02, 2017 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Like

Mar 08, 2018 Eden Shortland rated it it was amazing

Like

Feb 27, 2017 Lyla Oweds rated it liked it

Like

Mar 06, 2017 Jen J added it

Like

Mar 28, 2017 Ashwini rated it really liked it

Shelves: reverse-harems, lost-it-halfway-thru, 4-star, series-but-not-completed, one-girl-many-boy-teen-romance, 2016-release, genre-series-not-reading-anymore, 2017

Like

Mar 28, 2017 Skylar Moore rated it it was amazing

Like

Apr 06, 2017 Lally added it

Like

Aug 19, 2017 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites, magical-powers, 4-star, 2017, millionaire-billionaire, contemporary, humour, made-me-cry, castle-private-estate-setting, drool-worthy-food

Like