Review: Angel Dares - Joss Stirling

Angel is impulsive.
Disguising her savant ability to control water doesn't come easily to her.

Then she meets the broodingly handsome Marcus at a music festival where they're both performing, and finds herself all at sea. For when he sings, her soul answers with its own music.

Like the tide, their mutual attraction cannot be held back but Marcus's mistrust of Angel's gift is even stronger. How can they ever be together if Marcus is unable to accept who Angel is or what they could mean to each other?

And with the net closing in on the Savant community - it is time for everyone to choose a side.

Savants Series:
Finding Sky
Challenging Zed (Free Short Story)
Stealing Phoenix
Burning Yves (Free Short Story)
Seeking Crystal
Misty Falls
Angel Dares
Summer Shadows

Check out Joss Stirling's website for more information

Review:
This series is a bit of a comfort read for me, the books are all cute, funny and incredibly easy to read and they're perfect palette cleansers when I'm in the mood to read something light hearted. I love the concept of the Savants, for anyone new to the series Savants are people born with some kind of psychic ability, they all have completely different powers so you never know quite what idea the author will come up with next so it's always interesting to see how each of the characters abilities work.

Angel Dares is a perfect summer read since most of it takes place at a music festival. We met Angel in the previous book so this story gives us a chance to catch up with previous couple Misty and Alex as well as some of the other Benedict brothers that we've all fallen in love with along the way. Angel is a talented musician and singer and along with her band she's at the music festival hoping to land her big break, the last thing she expects is to stumble across her soulfinder. Angel is a little wild and very impulsive which has a tendency to get her in trouble, her Savant powers allow her to control water which makes for a fancy party trick but she has to work very hard to keep her secret because using her ability is second nature to her and she has a habit of using it as a way to calm down when she's nervous. Marcus is her complete opposite in most ways, he's also a talented musician but he's part of an already successful group and they're headlining the festival. He is much more serious than Angel and doesn't really know what to make of her, it really doesn't help that he knows nothing about the Savant community either he doesn't even know that he has an ability so the whole thing comes as quite a shock to him, especially when Angel starts talking about Soulfinders and communicating with him telepathically.

I loved Angel, she was so much fun and she's definitely the kind of girl you'd want to be friends with. Marcus is harder to like and at times he really annoyed me because of the way he treated Angel. I get that she threw him for a loop and he was struggling to know how to react to her but let's face it he was a bit of an arse at times and there were moments when I found it hard to root for them as a couple. No matter how much he irritated me one minute he did have some incredibly sweet moments and the more you find out about him the easier it is to understand where he's coming from, I wish he'd come around just a little sooner (and I could have done without one particular event towards the very end of the book) but it all worked out in the long run so I've forgiven him now.

I love that there is always some kind of mystery or extra element to these stories alongside the romance and it looks like the Savants are now facing an enemy who is determined to get evidence of their powers and expose them to the general public. I'm not going to go into more detail for now but I will be very interested to see how that continues to play out throughout the series. I also love that we're getting to see the older Benedict brothers find their soulfinders throughout the series, I get that they're a little old to be main characters in a YA series (although I really would have loved separate books about each of them!) but this is a nice way to tie all of the stories together. It's Will's turn to fall in love in Angel Dares and I'm really hoping Victor will be up next as he's always been my favourite! The main character of the next book, Summer, is best friends with both Angel and Misty so I'm sure we'll be seeing more of them and I'm hoping with the introduction of a new group of Savant characters means that the series might continue on beyond Summer Shadows.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Burning Yves - Joss Stirling

In this FREE explosive short story, discover what Yves Benedict was thinking when he met his soulmate Phoenix for the first time.The Benedict brothers all have different abilities and powers. One can move things with his thoughts alone, another can heal. Yves Benedict is the second youngest of the seven brothers and he has the ability to set things on fire with his mind. This means he must keep a tight rein on his emotions which isn’t easy when he meets his soulmate . . . Phoenix is nothing like Yves imagined. She’s secretive, elusive and a thief. Yves lives by a strict code of honour and Phoenix is tangled up in a web of crime. But their fiery attraction cannot be denied.  Sparks will fly as their destinies and hearts collide.  A brilliant addition to the Finding Sky series for both new and old fans alike.

Savants Series:
Finding Sky
Challenging Zed (Free Short Story)
Stealing Phoenix
Burning Yves (Free Short Story)
Seeking Crystal
Misty Falls
Angel Dares
Summer Shadows

Check out Joss Stirling's website for more information

Review:
Burning Yves is the second of Joss Stirling's free short stories in the Savants series and it gives us a second chance to see the first meeting between Yves and Phoenix but this time from his point of view. Again I'd recommend reading the short story after the main book (Stealing Phoenix) so you're familiar with the characters.

The story starts a little before the beginning of the first book and it's nice to get a chance to see inside geeky Benedict brother Yves' head. He's not as confident as the rest of his brothers and feels a little like the odd one out but he's also extremely intelligent and loves to learn. His first meeting with Phoenix doesn't exactly go to plan since she attempts to rob him but he's surprisingly protective of the would be thief.

I don't think I enjoyed this one quite as much as Challenging Zed but it was still a fun, quick read and I'm sure fans of the series will enjoy eat up any chance to spend more time with the Benedicts!

Source: Free ebook short story can be downloaded from Amazon

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Review: Challenging Zed - Joss Stirling

Want to know what Zed Benedict was thinking when he met his soulmate Sky Bright for the first time? Find out for FREE in this compelling short story.

The Benedict brothers all have different abilities and powers. One can move things with his mind, another can heal. Zed Benedict is the youngest and the most powerful of the seven brothers and he is on the road to destruction until he meets his soulmate, Sky Bright. She is his balance, the light to his dark. Together they are even more powerful. Zed knows that they are meant to be together and that there is a connection that cannot be denied. But how can he convince Sky that their destinies are entwined when she doesn’t even realize the true nature of her potential? A brilliant addition to the Finding Sky series for both new and old fans alike.

Savants Series:
Finding Sky
Challenging Zed (Free Short Story)
Stealing Phoenix
Burning Yves (Free Short Story)
Seeking Crystal
Misty Falls
Angel Dares
Summer Shadows

Check out Joss Stirling's website for more information

Review:
Challenging Zed is a free short story written by Joss Stirling that links in with her Savants series. It gives us the chance to see Zed and Sky's first meeting from his point of view and also gives a bit more insight into the Benedict family when the brothers were all much younger.

Although this could be read as an introduction to the series I think you'd be much better off picking it up after you've read Finding Sky so you're already familiar with both the characters and the world. I really enjoyed the chance to get inside Zed's head and see exactly what he was thinking in the early days when he first met Sky, he runs a bit hot and cold with her in the beginning and this really helped to explain his actions.

I would have loved for this story to be longer but considering it's completely free to read I'm not going to be ungrateful and complain about that. If you're a fan of the series then you'll definitely enjoy this & I'm looking forward to reading the second free short story Burning Yves.

Source: Free ebook short story can be downloaded from Amazon

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Kindle:

Review: Misty Falls - Joss Stirling

Fall for the lie . . . then unravel the truth.

Misty is a one-girl disaster zone. Born with a Savant 'gift' that means she can never tell a lie, her compulsive truth-telling gets her into trouble wherever she goes.

So when she meets Alex: gorgeous, confident, and impossibly charming, Misty instantly resolves to keep her distance . . . Someone so perfect could never be hers, surely?

But a dark shadow has fallen across the Savant community. A serial killer is stalking young people who have these special mental powers. Soon one of them will be taken to the edge of death . . . and beyond.

Savants Series:
Finding Sky
Challenging Zed (Free Short Story)
Stealing Phoenix
Burning Yves (Free Short Story)
Seeking Crystal
Misty Falls
Angel Dares
Summer Shadows

Check out Joss Stirling's website for more information

Review:
I love Joss Stirling's Savants series and was excited when I found out she was planning another three books set in the same world. I'll admit I was a little disappointed when I realised that the hero of Misty Falls wasn't one of the Benedict brothers though, I've become so invested in the family and was worried that things wouldn't be the same without them. Thankfully my fears were over nothing because although the Benedicts aren't the main characters here we still see plenty of the previous couples and we even get to see Uriel meeting his soulfinder! I'm actually quite glad that we're getting new characters and families introduced because I think it's going to give the series some fresh blood so to speak.

I can't remember if we met Misty in the previous books but she is Crystal's niece and because of that family connection she is friends with most of the characters we've already met. The story sees Misty travel to South Africa for the summer to visit family and she is travelling with Uriel because he is going to search for his soulfinder who he knows is in Cape Town thanks to Crystal's Savant ability. Misty has a very interesting Savant ability that means she is incapable of lying, she can't even tell a white lie to spare a friend's feelings and she always knows if people aren't telling her the truth. If she doesn't keep a tight reign on her ability people around her will find themselves suddenly blurting out their secrets and the things they most desperately want to keep hidden and I'm sure you can imagine what kind of trouble that gets her into. Misty is a fantastic character and she was constantly saying or doing things that were hilarious, she would try so hard not to hurt people's feelings but she had no choice in the matter and I laughed a lot at the things she ended up blurting out almost against her will.

When she meets Alex it is pretty much hate at first sight on his part, his ability allows him to charm anyone he talks to but because Misty forces him to be honest it reacts badly with his powers and he suddenly finds he isn't able to talk people around to his way of thinking. Misty doesn't really understand why Alex seems so dead set against her but she's also convinced that he would never look twice at someone as socially inept as she is. I enjoyed the antagonism between the two characters but was pleased when they finally figured out what was really going on. Because of the whole soulfinder thing the characters in this series do tend to fall in love very quickly but although I normally hate insta-love for some reason it's never bothered me in these books. I just have so much fun reading them that I don't mind how quickly things happen.

I don't want to say too much about the rest of the plot but there is a lot more to this story than a romance. Uriel may be searching for his soulfinder but he is also investigating a serial killer who is targeting savant teenagers. Misty inadvertently catches the attention of the murderer and it becomes a race against time to see whether she will be his next victim. The mystery was good, the story moves at a fast pace and Misty Falls was a very quick, light hearted and funny read. I loved getting to meet a whole new bunch of Savant characters and learning about all kinds of different abilities they had. I have a feeling that Misty's two best friends may end up being the future heroines in the rest of the series but I hope we get to see more of Misty's cousins and I'm sure the Benedict's will all be there on the sidelines.

Source: Received from OUP in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Seeking Crystal - Joss Stirling

Crystal Brook has always been the dud Savant in her family; paranormal powers just aren't her thing. Dropping out of school with a clutch of 'E' grades and no future, she lives in the shadow of her high-flying sister Diamond.

On a trip to Denver, a chance encounter with the dashing Benedict brothers leaves Diamond head over heels in love and engaged to be married. Crystal, on the other hand, is unimpressed by their charms . . . in fact no boy can annoy her as much as Xav Benedict!

Back in Venice, their families assemble for Diamond's wedding and a powerful enemy seizes the opportunity to attack. Crystal and Xav must join forces to save their loved-ones, unlocking a secret that, until now, has lain deeply buried . . .

Savants Series:
Finding Sky
Challenging Zed (Free Short Story)
Stealing Phoenix
Burning Yves (Free Short Story)
Seeking Crystal
Misty Falls
Angel Dares
Summer Shadows

Check out Joss Stirling's website for more information

Review:
Crystal comes from a large family of Savants but she has always felt like a failure compared to her brothers and sisters, she is the only one who isn't able to communicate telepathically and she has the most useless Savant ability ever. The only thing she is any good at is finding things that people have lost - so she's the person who her family turn to when they lose their car keys but not for much else. Crystal has travelled to Denver with her sister Diamond for a conference arranged by the Benedicts and it is there that Diamond immediately recognises Trace as her Soulfinder and the couple are quickly engaged to be married. Back at their home in Venice Crystal is in charge of organising Diamond's hen party and she is in competition with Trace's brother Xav for who can come up with the best night out. Xav and Crystal have taken an instant dislike for each other but when the family come under attack and several of the Soulfinders are taken hostage it is up to the two of them to figure out how to save the others.

I'm a massive fan of this series so have been looking forward to reading Seeking Crystal for ages now and I'm pleased to say that it was everything I hoped it would be. Fans of the series are sure to enjoy this instalment just as much as the previous ones and I'm really hoping that this isn't the last we have seen of the Benedicts - please someone tell me there will be another book! The romance between Diamond and Trace does move incredibly quickly but as they aren't the main characters for this book I felt that was understandable. Especially when you consider that they are both much older than Crystal and Xav so have been waiting a long time for their Soulfinder to come along, knowing full well that they might never find them. It made sense to me that they would accept their relationship much faster, they are both confident in who and what they are and are delighted to find the missing piece of themselves.

Crystal wasn't always the easiest character to like, at times she could be very childish and I got frustrated with her and the temper tantrums she threw but at the same time I could understand why she was so upset. She has spent her whole life feeling like she is useless and when she finally finds something that she thinks she could be good at her family are completely against the idea. I did feel that Diamond and Trace could have done a much better job of explaining to her why modelling wasn't such a great idea but she worked it out for herself eventually. When things start to go wrong and Diamond and other family members disappear Crystal really does step up to the plate and show how strong she can be. I loved the developments with her abilities and think that will add a really interesting element to any future books we might see.

I really liked Xav, he could be cocky and arrogant but he often tended to put on an act and deep down he was a really nice guy. He knew how to push Crystal's buttons and went out of his way to irritate her but that was just his way of teasing the newest member of his family. It was obvious from the beginning that they were attracted to each other but not believing they were Soulfinders meant there was no point in pursuing things further. Xav's power as a healer makes him very protective of everyone around him, he wants to be able to keep everyone safe and finds it distressing that he was unable to stop his family members being hurt. I really loved the banter between Xav and Crystal, the way they constantly snipped at each other was fun to watch but they grew to respect each other when they started working together.

I loved the Venice setting for this story, the previous books were set in Denver and London so it was nice to visit somewhere different. I've never been to Venice (it's somewhere I always wanted to go) but the descriptions were so well done that it really felt like I was there and I was able to picture things very clearly. I have to say that the plot of Seeking Crystal was the best of the series so far, the story was fast paced, action packed and included some great new side characters. We also got to see some of the previous characters which was nice although the circumstances didn't allow us to catch up with the girls as much as I would have liked. I loved getting to see the Benedict boys all working so well together though, they certainly prove themselves a force to be reckoned with! I'd definitely recommend this series to fans of YA paranormal romance, I think you could probably get away with reading this as a standalone novel but personally I think the series works much better if you read them in order. If you've not already read Finding Sky and Stealing Phoenix then you really don't know what you're missing.

Source: Received from OUP in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Stealing Phoenix - Joss Stirling

What do you do when your soulmate turns out to be a thief?

Steal her, of course.

Phoenix was raised within the Community, a gang of thieves with paranormal powers, under the control of a harsh master known as the Seer. The notion that there's a soulmate out there for every person with a paranormal gift is mere myth in Phoenix's world. That is until the Seer gives Phoenix the details of her next target, Yves Benedict.

He's more than just her next victim, he is her destiny. To be together, Phoenix must break away from the Community but resistance against the Seer puts them both in mortal danger. Phoenix has never trusted anyone before, now it's time to trust Yves with her life.

Savants Series:
Finding Sky
Challenging Zed (Free Short Story)
Stealing Phoenix
Burning Yves (Free Short Story)
Seeking Crystal
Misty Falls
Angel Dares
Summer Shadows

Check out Joss Stirling's website for more information

Review:
Phoenix (Phee) has been bought up in a community of savants who are all controlled by the Seer.  He has strong powers of mind control and has instilled fear into the entire community, if they don't do what he tells them too then there will be severe consequences.  Phee is often sent out to steal for the Seer and has to bring back whatever he requests but when she is asked to steal from Yves things don't quite go to plan.  When Yves realises that Phee is his soulfinder he is horrified by the fact that she is a thief but as he learns more about her upbringing he becomes determined to save her from the Seer's clutches.  It isn't going to be an easy task though and they will need the help of his family to do it.

I loved the first book in this series Finding Sky so was very excited about getting my hands Stealing Phoenix. Now, having read both books, I'm really struggling to decide which one I liked best - Yves may just have stolen my heart from Zed!  In my review of Finding Sky I said that it was a must read for fans of YA paranormal romance who were looking for something different and I can definitely say the same about Stealing Phoenix.  This is a series you want to watch out for and I'm very excited to know we're going to get to see more of the Benedict brothers in the future.

Phee is a character you can relate to from the very beginning, she may be a thief but it is down to the way she has been raised rather than a personal choice she has made.  The Seer is a baddie with truly horrific powers and I spent a lot of the book worrying about how Phee and Yves could possibly escape from him.  Phee may be under the Seer's control but she is still a strong character and she does her best to stand up to him.  She hasn't had the best start in life but she dreams of something better and meeting Yves and his family finally shows her what things could be like.  Although she desperately wants that happy family she is scared to trust that that could be an option for her, she is frightened of what the Seer is capable of and worried about what could happen if she tries to escape.

I've already said that I liked Yves even more than Zed which is something I wasn't expecting because I loved Zed!  Yves has the whole geeky genius vibe going for him and I have to admit to having a soft spot for the geeky guys.  He is extremely intelligent but also very shy and has no idea of the effect he has on the women around him which was quite funny to watch.  I loved getting to see him with his family and just like in the first book I enjoyed the banter between all of the brothers and the fact that although they tease each other they still have each other's backs.

The plot is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat but I also enjoyed the romance between Phee and Yves as she slowly learns to trust him.  I can't wait to see what Joss Stirling comes up with next and am very much looking forward to reading Xav's story which I understand is up next.  If you haven't started this series yet you could probably read Stealing Phoenix as a stand along story but I'd highly recommend starting with Finding Sky, both are great books and you'll be missing a treat if you don't!

Source: Received from OUP in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Finding Sky - Joss Stirling

Discovering your soul mate has never been so dangerous.

'You have half our gifts, I have the other...'

When English girl, Sky, catches a glimpse of bad boy Zed in her new American high school, she can't get him out of her head.  He talks to her with his thoughts.  He reads her mind.  He is the boy she will love forever.  Shadows stalk her past but a new evil threatens her future.  Sky must face the dark even if it means losing her heart.

Savants Series:
Finding Sky
Challenging Zed (Free Short Story)
Stealing Phoenix
Burning Yves (Free Short Story)
Seeking Crystal
Misty Falls
Angel Dares
Summer Shadows

Check out Joss Stirling's website for more information

Review:
Sky has lived with her adoptive parents since she was 10 years old and remembers little of her life before she was with them.  Her parents have been offered jobs running a new arts centre in Colorado and although this means the family leaving their home in Richmond, England they are excited about moving to America.  Sky is beginning to settle into her new school and finds herself drawn to the school bad boy Zed.  At first he ignores her but then she starts hearing his voice in her head and she thinks she is losing her mind.  Is there an explanation for everything that is happening?  Will Sky accept it when Zed tells her they are soul mates?

Finding Sky is a great debut and one that stands out in a crowded young adult paranormal romance market.  Although I love stories about vampires, werewolves and angels they do seem to have overtaken the shelves at the moment so it makes a refreshing change to read a story about characters with psychic abilities.  Sky has no idea that she is a savant so when Zed starts talking to her about her abilities and the fact that she is his soulfinder she doesn't believe him at first.  It takes time for him to gain her trust and for her to accept the things he is telling her.

I was a little worried that the fact they are soul mates would mean they were instantly in love and a happy couple before you could blink so it was nice to see how slowly things developed between them.  The romance is sweet, quite amusing in places and just a joy to read.  In fact I'd happily have continued reading if only there had been more pages.

One of the things I liked the most was the fact that both Sky and Zed have supportive families.  Sky may not remember her real parents but her adoptive parents both care for her a great deal and are prepared to do anything to help her.  I liked the fact that they were prepared to give up their dreams and move back to England if that was what Sky wanted.  Zed's family were great, his parents and 6 brothers are all savants with a variety of different psychic abilities that I enjoyed learning about.  I loved the banter between them all and watching them together was like watching any family - there were squabbles but when it came down to it they all love each other and will always stick together.

I want to know more about each of the Benedict brothers so I'm really hoping this turns into a series and we get to see each of their stories.  I was pleased to find out Joss Stirling is currently working on a sequel called Stealing Phoenix and I'm very much looking forward to reading it as soon as it comes out.  If you enjoy paranormal romance but are looking for something that is fresh and exciting then you can't go far wrong with Finding Sky!

Source: Received from OUP in exchange for an honest review

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