Friday, May 25, 2012

Review: First Light by Samantha Summers

Thank you to Samantha Summers for allowing me the opportunity to read and review First Light!

First Light (Project Five Fifteen #1)
Genre
YA Thriller/Romance

Series
Project Five Fifteen (Book 1)

Publication Date
May 2012

Publisher
Self-Published

Available At

Format
Ebook







What do you do when you’ve always dreamed of a hero; your knight in shining armour, only to find when he arrives he isn’t a hero at all?

... He’s a killer.

Ronnie Rose is trying to cope with the loss of her father; now it looks like she might lose everything else that’s dear to her too. Huge debts threaten to destroy her family, her childhood home and her future. Only one person cuts through her pain.

Kalen Smith has just moved to town. He’s trouble and everyone knows it. He and his mysterious friends keep to themselves and the town likes it that way.

But when Kalen mourns at her dad’s funeral, Ronnie wants to know why and her investigation plunges her into a dangerous world of murky government secrets, with deadly consequences. Ronnie knows she should walk away from Kalen before it’s too late. Problem is, she’s falling for him…

Can we choose who we fall in love with?

Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!

Reading the blurb for First Light, I was instantly attracted and eager to start reading. I could sense the excitement, the struggles and the romance from just that tiny amount of words. You know I love those inner, emotional struggles and First Light did not disappoint! In fact, it way exceeded my expectations. 

I was drawn to the two main characters in an instantaneous moment. Kalen and Ronnie, two opposites in many, many ways, but with one major struggle to overcome. Samantha Summers, in my opinion, successfully portrayed Ronnie and Kalen in a way that showcased their strengths, weaknesses, and sheer determination. In my opinion (and I hope others will agree), Ronnie and Kalen are high-ranking favorites. But let's not forget the surrounding characters, because I found them (even the not-so-nice ones) to be just as well-placed, and pivotal. They were very effectual.

There is one major struggle that both Ronnie and Kalen fight with, and that's the choice between following your head or your heart. This is a key factor for the romance of this book and like it says up above in the blurb, can we choose who we fall in love with? Samantha Summers successfully tackles this hurdle with genuine inner turmoil that will appeal to readers without making it cliche or overly done. It added that much needed tension between characters and will also help the reader see the surrounding characters in a new way. The thriller aspect was absolutely phenomenal! I was constantly on the edge of my seat, held in anticipation and trying to predict the ending outcome. There isn't extreme mystery, but that's a good thing. First Light doesn't need that mystery, the thriller aspect mixed with the heart-tingling romance is what this book is all about. As you read, you'll kind of know what is going to happen, but you won't know the specifics. . . that was what I wanted from First Light, so I was happy to receive that. Plus, mystery would have fogged over the glorious details. Well, actually, Kalen is the mystery, but only because he's such a complex character with many layers to investigate. The flashbacks that Samantha Summers provides (from Kalen's past) are extremely important in digging deeper into his character. First Light would definitely not be the same if those flashbacks were missing. They allowed us to get inside his head, see the inner workings of Project Five Fifteen, and witness his change. 

There is some action, mostly towards the end, but it's still satisfying. First Light is laying the groundwork for the books to come, it's that necessary first step for a series that I know will be insanely good. First Light is introducing us to the important characters, showing us some of the history that we need, but mostly it's all about that decision to lead with your head or heart. A decision that will fuel the series. 

I can openly admit that I'm extremely finicky about endings. A lot of them don't hold up to my expectations, but I can happily say that the ending in First Light is by far one of my favorite endings. It was just pure perfection. I was not left wanting, there was a finality, but it also leads perfectly into the next phase of the story and adventure. Well, that's an assumption since I haven't read the next book, but it's just one of those things that I know. I was grinning ear to ear as I read those last two chapters. 

If you are looking for a book to sweep you off your feet with thrilling entertainment and sweet yet scalding romance then read First Light.

I just have one question: When can I get my hands on the second book?





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