Wednesday, April 11, 2012

5 STARS | Meeting Destiny by Nancy Straight

Title: Meeting Destiny
Series: Destiny #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Age Group: Young Adult, New Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Nancy Straight
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B003U2RUP8
Published: August 31st, 2011
Source: SupaGurl Tours
Events: Book Tour
Rating: ★★★★★






Lauren is visited in her dreams for years by a stranger claiming to be her destiny. Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other and now her doubt over her long time relationship with her high school sweetheart is not her only secret...someone else knows about her keen intuition and sixth sense.

A mysterious clairvoyant seeks Lauren out and tells her not only of her life now but what the future may hold. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Law enforcement, friends and family are concerned for Lauren but unfortunately they are unaware of the true danger... Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren's abilities.
I absolutely ADORED this book! If I could give Meeting Destiny an infinite rating to show how much I love this book, I would do it in a heartbeat. Meeting Destiny has everything it takes to make my favorites list: the characters are real and lovable, the romance is absolutely swoon-worthy, the story is intriguing and engaging, and most importantly--MEETING DESTINY MADE ME FEEL SOMETHING. The number one thing a book has to have to become a favorite of mine is that it has to make me feel something deeply. It has to make me feel emotionally attached, and Meeting Destiny did just that.

I really liked how the paranormal doesn't take a front seat in the story. Lauren's dreams help her recognize Max, her "destiny" when she finally meets him. Her "sixth sense" warns her of imminent danger and a vague sense of people in general. Then there's her, I guess you could say "guide," Rewsna, who gives her advice telepathically when she truly needs it. These aspects are subtle and are seamlessly woven into the story without overtaking it and drowning out the other aspects of the story.

I thought that the roles a soul plays in the day-to-day life of another was interesting. There's Tempters, Instigators, Protectors, Anarchists, and Mates. We know that Max is Lauren's Mate, but it's cools to see her make the connections between herself and others in her life.

I loved Lauren and Max as the main characters. Lauren has a heart of gold and a strong sense of justice. Max is patient and has a great capacity to love. And Lauren and Max together just makes me want to sigh. Their love may be fast-paced, but that's explained as Destiny in action. It's sweet and pure and totally makes you want to swoon. I also like that Max is still somewhat of a mystery by the end of the book.

I found Meeting Destiny to be reminiscent of Kristie Cook's Promise. Lauren, Max, and even Seth have their counterparts in Alexis, Tristan, and Owen. The story of a young woman with a special purpose, always in danger, and meeting her soul mate are also similar. Even the ending is similar. Though their frameworks are parallel, these two books are also very different. I didn't notice the similarity until I was thinking about what to write for this review; but just as Promise and the Soul Savers series made it's way into my heart and quickly became one of my favorite series, I know that Meeting Destiny and the Destiny series will become a favorite as well.

I can't say much about the ending, but I will say that it's a really emotional part of the book and not what I was expecting. I want to badly to know what happens next after such a powerfully emotional ending. I can't wait to see what's next for Lauren and Max.

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Nancy was born in Sioux City, Iowa, left the cold of the Midwest in 1991 and only returns to see family in the summer time. She spent ten years traveling the world as a US Marine and settled in rural SC with her husband and two children.

She enjoys reading all types of Paranormal and Young Adult literature.


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2012 to my book blogs, Zodiac Book Reviews and A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.

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