4 STARS | When Destiny Knocks by Heather M. White

Title: When Destiny Knocks
Series: The Destiny Saga #1
Author: Heather M. White
Age Group: Young Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal
Elements: Demons, Ghosts, Angels, Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, Shapeshifters
Publisher: Heather M. White
Format: PDF
ASIN: B006PTPZQY
Published: March 23rd, 2012
Source: SupaGurl Tours
Events: Book Tour
Rating: 4/5 STARS
Purchase: Paperback

16-year-old Karlie has had a pretty normal life... But when her mom dies she is forced to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her dad. That's when things start getting wired.

She can't explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn't know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his dad wants her dead.

Suddenly, Karlie's normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.

I've read quite a few books lately with the heroine having some kind of special destiny or purpose and they can tend to all run together because of their similarities. Although there are commonalities between When Destiny Knocks and those other stories, there's something about this story that stands out from the crowd. For me, what set When Destiny Knocks apart was the characters and their interactions and relationships with each other; as well as the intricacies and circumstances of Karlie's abilities and new job.

Karlie has had a normal life until her mother dies and she's sent to live with her father in Arkansas. Once she arrives strange things start happening--earthquakes no one seems to notice, she's not sleeping anymore, and she's having visions that show her that sinister things are afoot. She also has an instant attraction to Shane and she can't understand why she feels she can trust him, especially when her friends Savannah, Jessica, Jarrod, and Mark all warn her to stay away from him. Not to mention all the scary spooks of nightmares that are attacking her left and right, front and back.

Turns out that Karlie is the "chosen one" who is tasked with fighting and protecting the world from the evils of Hell. Creatures such as demons, vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters, are coming out of the woodwork, trying to kill Karlie before her seventeenth birthday when she will receive her full powers. Not only that, but Karlie's friends are actually her "protectors" and Shane is the half-demon son of the demon who wants her dead--and want Shane to be the one to deliver the deathblow! Karlie's simple life has just gotten a lot more complicated.

I'm not usually a big fan of instant love, but if there is something else added to it like some kind of adversity or another love interest, it's a lot more interesting and it adds some reality to the romance. Heather White does both in When Destiny Knocks. Because Shane is the half-demon son of the demon who wants Karlie dead, and wants Shane to be the one to do it, there's definitely adversity and controversy in their relationship. Karlie's family and friends want her to stay away for her own safety, if nothing else. Add in the fact that the angel in town falls in love with Karlie, and we've got ourselves a love triangle! I like to see the couple work toward being together. The love story is more gripping and intense, and the relationship is stronger in the end because of the work they put into it.

One character that I found really interesting was Serenity, the last "chosen one." She's now a ghost because, well, she's dead, and she also has a past with Alex (you could say that he's the "chosen one's" guardian angel). She helps Karlie learn her abilities, but her personality isn't at all what you would expect of humanity's guardian. She's a suspicious entity with questionable motives, and that's made all the more apparent by her actions at the end of the book. I can't wait to see what exactly she has planned.

Website | Goodreads

Hi! I am Heather M. White, the author of the Destiny Saga, the Vampire Hunter Series and the upcoming novel Redheads are Soulless! It's so nice to meet you!

I am a returning resident to Arkansas. I just migrated south from Saint Louis, MO with my husband. We have been married a year. :)

I love to write. I have been writing since I was a kid - literally. I decided in the 2nd grade I would write a book. I wrote lots of stories and poems... And did I mention I wrote over 200 songs? (Yeah, I'm a musician too). So I wrote my very first novel at the ripe age of 14... My Mom still has it :-/. Ok, so maybe it wasn't my best work, but I had a LOT of fun writing it!

I started college at the young age of 17. (I graduated high school at 16). And my English papers were always a hit in my classroom. Somebody told me "you should make that story into a book". I pushed it to the back of my mind... Until recently.

I LOVE TO READ. Besides writing it is my absolute favorite thing to do.

I also love the TV series: Supernatural and Vampire Diaries... More like obsessed. I have seen every episode of Supernatural EVER. And I kind of have an obsession with Damon... And I'm watching American Idol this season because my friend Lauren Gray is on there! GO LAUREN!

I play music. I have played the guitar for 10 years, bass for 8 and drums for about 9. I use to play guitar in a band. We were actually good. But my bass player got pregnant and my drummer got engaged. And I decided music wasn't my "main" passion anymore.

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