So, yeah, I LOVE this book! I have already promised a few friends they could borrow my copy after I told them all about it and how amazing it is! I don’t know exactly what it is, but for some reason this book just clicked with me -- it was one of those things where it was the perfect book at the perfect time. I’ll try to hit highlights of what I love about the book without giving much about the plot, so as to avoid possible spoilers.

I love the mythology behind the magical system in HAVEN. Mary did a wonderful job of taking her time and explaining things to the reader in an organic way, and there was no info-dump at the beginning. I love it when things develop slowly and important facts about the magic in a paranormal story is revealed on a sort of as-needed basis. I much prefer that to knowing everything about the system up front; the story feels more real to me that way. I also love long books, so a slowly developing story is perfect for me! And the mythology here -- wow! It was so creative and I absolutely love it.

Rain is a character that just... phew, he’s definitely a hottie! I love that he is tough, as his life circumstances have caused him to be, and yet soft on the inside. He makes a comment at one point about this very thing, and how Freddie, the girl he is intrigued by in the new town he’s moved to, is similar to him in that respect. They both are forced to present a tough outer shell to the world, for various reasons, but inside they are just as in need of love and contact and care as any of us are. Freddie and Rain just ignite the pages when they’re together, and I love it! The push-pull plays out perfectly, without getting annoying, and I think that’s because for Rain it’s pretty much all pull - trying to make Freddie let him be part of her life - without any push. He knows what he wants and he goes after it with determination!

HAVEN easily moved onto my list of favorite 2017 books. If you love paranormal, romance, flawed characters, tough guys who really just want to be loved, new magical systems and mythologies, and absolutely kick-butt girls, you’ve got to give HAVEN a try. I think you’ll love it as much as I do!

Rating: 5 wild stars!

Thanks so much to Entangled Teen for the early copy for purposes of review, and to Chapter by Chapter for including me on the tour! This is my honest rating and review.

This is a pretty typical shifter YA PNR, except that it is told in the boy's pov, who as usual, moves to a small town and discovers something weird is going on with the residents. I enjoyed the story and discovering what was going on right along with Rain. It was interesting getting this story from a guy's perspective, especially as he is the outsider in this scenario, not sure at first what is happening.

The book is heavily romance focused and Rain's growing relationship with Freddie is a huge part of the story as well. However, the romance started a little too fast for me, and was high on the "insta" scale. Another thing that bugged me is that Rain and Freddie's relationship gets serious very quickly, but it's also completely fade to black, which threw me off. Either show those scenes (and make it an older YA or adult book), or don't imply them at all, especially to the degree they were implied and the degree to which it was fade to black. I felt like I missed some of the romance and character (beast) development because of that, and something about it threw me off, affecting my feelings about the entire story. [ I think b/c its also tied to when Rain drinks that wine and I felt like I missed some of the aspect of his beast b/c those whole scenes weren't shown (hide spoiler)].

While I enjoyed HAVEN, I think I'm growing out of the typical YA PNR. Nothing about it really surprises me anymore. I've seen a lot of praise for this book, and I think I would have really liked it some years ago. But while I was entertained and wanted to keep reading until the end, I wasn't blown away by it. I really did like Rain though, and I enjoyed seeing him find a place for himself and make friends. While I admire Freddie, I didn't feel like I got quite as close to her. I didn't feel as connected to her emotionally.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone, as far as I can tell. If this series continues, I hope it follows another character.

This is a YA paranormal romance and if you follow my blog I don’t tend to read a lot of paranormal romances with the exception to a few authors and books so this was a nice little treat for me. This also had a little bit of a mystery to it and I think that it added to the book and a little history as well. I love when an author gives a little history about the town the book takes place in. I always find it adds more to the story.
Haven is told from the third person and I have to admit I am usually not a fan but it worked with Haven.
Our main character is Rain (love that name) has suddenly lost his mother and is sent to live with his estranged aunt Ruby. He quickly picks up the feeling that something is not right and he can’t pin point what it is exactly. He notices at his new school that a certain group of kids stick themselves and he knows that there is something there. One of the girls in the that groups has gotten his attention and there is something about her that intrigues him. This girl is Friederike (love this name as well) aka Freddy.
Freddy is not your typical girl. She is very unique and she warns Rain to stay away from her but he can’t because something always happens to bring him in. There is something she is hidding that she doesn’t want him to know because it could kill him but Rain being Rain curiousity gets the best of him and it could cost him his life.
I should mention that Rain is like a bad boy that I know a lot of readers like and I know I do as well. He has grown up on the streets, he has problems and it always seems like he is the one in trouble. But deep down he is a sweet guy and he decided he wants to be better then what he was. Can he?
I just have to take a moment to comment on the cover, how pretty is it? I love how simple and inviting it is.
I do have to say that I found the beginning to be a little slow but it gradually picks up and once I hit that point I had a hard time to put the book down.

I would definitely recommend this book; 4.5 stars.

Multiple reviews have compared “Haven” to “Twilight” and there are certainly similarities — small town setting; high school protagonist who is an outsider; two paranormal “types” with a tension between them; need to hide identity from “normal” humans, etc.. However, comparing the books does a disservice to both books and authors. The Twilight series is enjoyable, but at its essence it is a love story that stays primarily on a “surface” level.

Haven, on the other hand, has more depth and is certainly darker. Aaron Ryland (Rain) has an edge and grittiness to him that you don’t normally find in young adult fiction. Friederike Burkhart (Freddie) is a strong female character struggling with a burden that has been thrust upon her and a choice she is not ready to make. Petra is a character who is hard to adequately describe, but will appeal to anyone who has ever felt like a misfit or felt out of place or misunderstood. Merrick is a follower who wants to be more, but struggles to find his inner strength.

The Watchers (werewolves) and Weavers (witches/warlocks) have a relationship that could be symbiotic and nearly equal, but which has been twisted over time and in response to outside events and natural prejudices. The power dynamic of the Weavers over the Watchers is not quite sinister, but it bears strong resemblances to some of the worst imbalances between racial or ethnic groups that humans have displayed over millennia. The book touches on a number of powerful themes.

In addition to being "dark", the story is also full of mystery and intrigue. Not only is there the mystery facing Rain as he tries to figure out what is going on with the people around him and what secrets are being hidden (including the truth about his father), but there is also the murder of Freddie's father, which has psychologically damaged Freddie and which is threatening the wellbeing of both the Watchers and the Weavers. The story pulls you in and does not let go; you will not want to stop reading until you have finished the book.

I adored this read. I loved the paranormal, I loved the character dynamics. I enjoyed the angst and mystery. I’m a new fan to this author.

These kids are amazing and there was just enough fade to black heat to keep this hard core romance blogger interested and turning the pages.

I’m a super fan of everything pnr and I relish a great YA read. This book offered both in a completly addicting page turning, mystery to solve, OMG kind of way.

Great reading!

The read as a whole is a slow one, packed with details. Twists and turns in the story throughout made for picking the outcome difficult. The characters themselves were complicated enough. The Gothic, hellish events and depicted monsters were gruesome, but support the dark events depicted.
It is questionable also as to whether Haven by Mary Lindsey should be categorised as a YA read because of the dark, gruesome elements it depicts.
Overall, Haven was a drawn out read for the HEA depicted.
Review copy received from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley

This was a fun YA urban fantasy/ paranormal read, though it was a bit similar in plot/ storyline to Andrea Cremer’s story where a male human is attracted to a female werewolf. I liked Rain, how tough he is but fiercely loyal to those he cares about. My favorite character was Petra, I wish there was more of her in the story.

Will leave reviews on goodreads and amazon

Rain Ryland grew up bouncing from shelters to the streets with his drug addicted mother, but when she dies and he;s sent to live in rural New Wurzburg with the Aunt he never knew existed, he's determined to make a fresh start. From the start, Rain finds himself drawn to Friederike Burkhart, the cagey leader of the closest thing the small town has to a gang. But her cryptic words and tough girl attitude only intrigue him further. And the more time Rain spends around Freddie and her cousins, the feeling that something is off about them and the town grows.

Haven is a fast paced novel with twists and turns that keep you turning the pages to the very end. As the mysteries of New Wurzburg, Freddie and her family, and a family history Rain had no idea about unfold, the reader becomes invested in the characters, and in solving the mysteries surrounding the population of the town. As Rain and Freddie become closer, the danger to them both grows, to a spellbinding conclusion that leaves the reader wanting more.

Rain has seen more than his fair share of hardship in his short life. He has fought off gangs, lost his parents and lived on the streets. Yet none of that compares to what he experiences when he moves to Haven and falls for Freddie. Something isn't right in Haven. Something definitely isn't right with the people in Haven. But everything is right about how he feels for Freddie.

This is a fun YA paranormal romance with shapeshifters and covens. I read a lot of YA fantasy and general YA, but I think my paranormal tastes run a little more adult than I realized before reading Haven. I would have enjoyed this book a lot as a younger reader, but it wasn't written for the adult me.

Oh my god, this was an amazing book! I’ve read a couple of Lindsey’s books and enjoyed a lot, so of course when I was given the chance to read this, I jumped on it. I read this in about 6 hours, sleep got the better of me and I had to put it down. Ugh… Never fear, I finished it as soon as I got up the next morning, it was just that good.

New Wurzburg is a magical town, but from the outside it looks like any other small town. After the death of his mother, Rain is sent to live with his Aunt, and he soon learns that there is much more to this lazy town than meets the eye. Mysterious murders and

I just can’t tell you how much I adored Freddie, she was sassy and stubborn, but one kickass girl for sure. She has always been part of her pack, so she isn’t one those girls who lets just anyone close to her, but something about Rain, makes her loosen the reigns a little. I loved Rain so much, he is the rough and tough kind of boy, and that’s what happens when you live on the street, and moving from shelter to shelter. Even with the lives he has been given, and things he has endured, he has this sweet and caring heart. No matter how hard Freddie pushes him away, he doesn’t give up on her, he feels this connection with her. But of course, she is a stubborn ass, and tells him how she is trying to keep him safe. Yada yada. Just give in already! These two are just meant for each other, at least that’s how I see it. Moving on…

Ruby is Rain’s aunt, who happens to be a sheriff in this small town. She was a ray of sunshine for me. Taking this boy in and caring for him with out any doubts after his mothers death. What a great woman. There are a few other characters that I really did enjoy, like Petra. Strange girl, but so fascinating. Then there were some that I would like to have been able to punch in the face a few times, but you have to have those “bad seeds” I guess. All together it was a fantastic group though.

The story starts off strong and doesn’t stop till the last page, and I honestly didn’t want to put it down. The small town of New Wurzburg is filled with mystery, and magic, oh, and paranormal beings. Most of the people are unaware, but those who know are power hungry or controlling. Trying to figure out who’s who was just a piece of the mystery of what going on this town. This wasn’t a boring town at all, there was plenty of violence to go around and trying to figure out exactly what happening kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. Even then, I wasn’t ready for it!

Haven is a captivating read, with suspense and mystery to a romance that was all swoony and sweet, this is a must read for fans of young adult readers who love urban fantasy.

How can a 400 paged book be read in 24 hours? It must be a page turner!!!

Haven was my very 2nd werewolf book to read. The 1st one being the book I read before Haven, I am officially a fan of werewolf novels. I have been avoiding this subgenera my entire life, but after reading two amazing werewolf novels, I am hooked.

This was fresh take on the Beauty and the Beast, where the girl is the beast and the retelling relies mostly on the symbolic concepts of the original story.



Reasons to read HAVEN:

H- A super Hot and sexy read

A- Amazing Storyline

V- Vicious enemies and a complex web of deception and lies

E- Emotional turn of events

N- Nasty and selfish motives



I received an e-ARC in exchange with an honest review.

I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley!
I have to say that I loved this book because of Rain (Aaron Ryland) gosh I even loved his name, it’s perfect!!!
I fell in love right away in the beginning of the story when I realized it was his point of view, I love when a male character is telling the story. His life was hard and complicated but he was a fighter, a survivor and tough but also compassionate and caring. His life changed completely and not only is he living a completely different life from what he was used to but now there are mysteries and complications and a girl of course. The love interest was perfect for him because she is also tough and once you know the secret you know why she acts the way she does.
I really liked them together and even though it was a bit of an insta-love it was believable, they are teenagers after all.
I’ll admit to getting a bit confused at the end because we had too many characters fighting and doing the things they did so I wasn’t sure who was good and who was bad or even who was doing what when everything went down at the end of the story which is why I took away a star. Also we had a bit of too much going on and it was taking too long in my opinion. There were no surprises at the end for me tho, I did see it coming, I knew how the story would end but it was still worth it to read it.
Would definitely recommend!

Rain Ryland has had a tough life but he has survived, now an orphan he has been sent to live with his Aunt in New Wurzburg, Texas. It is not long before he meets Friederike Burkhart, she is a tough cookie and he finds himself wanting to get to know her more. Something is different about Freddie though and as he learns more about the town he finds that his life is about to change in a very unexpected way.

Fascinating story. I was not quite sure where the story would lead but was intrigued throughout. I thought the characters were all unique and was captivated at seeing how Rain and Freddie interacted. Wonderful read.

This is one of the grittier, edgier novels I've read and find hard to categorize. Great writing, fast paced and well done.

Haven follows the story of 17 year old Aaron 'Rain' Ryland. He's the son of a single junkie mother. Over the years, they've been homeless moving from shelter to shelter. He's never had a true home and his mother is the only family he has. All that changes one fateful night when his mother dies. Turns out he does have more family. An aunt who lives in the small town of New Wurzburg working as a cop. By the order of a judge, Rain is sent to live with the aunt he's never known and to a town he's never been to. Upon arrival, he begins to realize that nothing in this small quiet town is quite what it seems. Things start to get weird. Especially when the mysterious Freddie catches his attention at school. Freddie is unlike any girl Rain has ever encountered and for some reason he's drawn to her - at a primal level. Involving himself with Freddie and her group of friends starts Rain off on a rollercoaster of a mystery where he will uncover secrets he never even imagined to be possible.

The best part about this book was the plot. I loved the mystery that goes on throughout the story. Whether having to do with Freddie and finding out what she and her friends are, or finding out stuff about Rain's family, it was always a new surprise at the turn of every page. Some stuff was predictable. The story gives you many hints that you could figure out yourself. But there were other things you had to keep reading in order to find out.

I thought the mythology and history behind what Freddie is was well thought out. Everything made sense and was a cool concept. I don't think I've read a YA Paranormal dealing with these type of beings in this way. So, kudos to the author for the originality in that aspect.

The characters were also something that made this a good read. All of our main players were likable and fleshed out. Rain was a good protagonist. Despite everything he's been through in his life, he has a good heart. It's hard not to root for him and like him. Then there is Freddie. She is so badass. I liked her humor and snark. I liked that she never backed down from a challenge. She truly is a boss and she definitely deserves the position she's in. Other supporting characters like Grant, Petra, and Merrick were great too. They all played into the story really well and their backstories were interesting.

There were only a few things I had issues with. Firstly, the romance between Freddie and Rain. I didn't really buy it honestly. It felt more physical attraction than anything emotional. I didn't believe they were truly in love by the end. Things with them progressed too fast. There was definitely some insta-lust happening in the first couple chapters in the book. A lot of steamy stuff, which I don't have a problem with as long as it's happening at a natural pace and I just didn't feel like this was the case here. This brings me to my next point. I don't really know why this is said to be YA. It didn't feel that way at all. The only reason I can see it being YA is because the main characters are in high school. There's quite a bit of sexual type content in this book. I mean it's not as straight forward as you would read in New Adult or Adult but it's described well enough that you know clearly what's going on. I feel like this could be more New Adult. This definitely is not for younger Young Adult readers. I would consider this Mature Young Adult if anything.

Other that all that, I don't really have any other problems with the books. This was a solid four star read. I genuinely enjoyed reading it and would read more by this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this sort of fresh spin on shifters in this book. This book had a lot of elements to it and not just the supernatural. Rain did not have an easy life so far and did not have a stable home much with his mother’s battle with drugs they were always on the move and often living on the streets. Now moving in with his aunt he has to learn how to trust people again and learn to adjust to a new permanent home. 

As all of that was not enough he also get thrown into the world of supernatural as he meets Freddie and her ”family” . I liked that there were a few new ideas ( for me) as far as the shifter world goes. I liked the watcher part and it was a pretty interesting concept.
I liked the characters. Rain was fun and interesting to follow as he stumbles through life. I must say I was not a huge fan of Freddie in the beginning, but she grew on me throughout the book. But in the beginning she was a little too much back and forth. Yes and a minute later no type, which was bit annoying to me.
But I think his aunt was my favorite person in the book. The way she took him in and trusted him and the way she adjusted to him but also her past.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and rate it 4★.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Haven by Mary Lindsey! Rain loses his mother and is sent to live with her twin, his aunt Ruby, in a small town. Rain unknowingly falls into an age-old legend as he’s trying to help a fellow classmate. He gets so much more than he bargained for. I don’t want to give anything away because the mystery is a big part of the story. Rain’s life grows more complicated and the suspense builds. He will do anything it takes to protect the people he cares about. 5 stars for this supernatural read!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary consideration.

Rain Ryland’s life has been spent living on the streets, in shelters and barely getting by with his mother. Her death brings a new start in a new town with an aunt he never knew existed. After surviving the tough city streets virtually on his own, life in the small town of New Wurzburg should be a breeze. But things aren’t what they seem in the insular little town and Rain quickly finds himself in the midst of life and death situations and secrets people would kill to keep hidden.

With the YA market saturated with fantasy novels, I was thrilled to find that the paranormal genre is still alive and kicking in Mary Lindsey’s Haven. Not only that, but Haven is turning the usual tropes on their heads and providing a story that is new and fresh and utterly unputdownable. You’ll find no brooding guys who act like caveman or damsels in distress waiting to be saved. What you do get is a main character who is searching for his purpose and a place to belong and a girl who is strong and capable but in need of support (whether she’s willing to admit it or not).

Rain comes to New Wurzburg with a past that isn’t pretty. Living on the streets, an addict mother, and time spent in juvenile detention left Rain street-savvy and self-sufficient but also craving family, stability and a sense of belonging. While he has a taste of that with his aunt, it’s when he meets Freddie Burkhart at school that things seem to click into place. But his arrival have also set events in motion that he can’t possibly comprehend and he’s met with silence and evasiveness when he questions strange occurrences. The more Rain pushes for information the more immersed he becomes in the mysterious, and violent secret world churning just below the surface of everyday life. And eventually he’ll have to decide how much he’s willing to sacrifice for the life that’s within his reach.

I loved the world and the mythology that Mary Lindsey created in Haven. I was sucked right in from the very beginning and reveled in the sinister atmosphere. I was questioning every new occurrence and trying to develop theories of what could be going on. I was suspicious of practically every character and that only increased as the story progressed. I trusted no one! There was sketchy behavior, odd explanations, eyes always watching, veiled threats. The feeling of unease only grew and the intensity amped up until I was flipping pages at lightning speed, dying to know what would happen next. And I was never disappointed.

I realize I’m keeping things a bit vague, but believe me it’s better to go in to this one without knowing too much in advance. Lindsey kept the story moving at a breakneck pace with action and mystery, suspense and a little romance that all blended together perfectly. While I typically bemoan the fact that there are too few stand-alone novels being published, this is one book I would love see turned into a series. Haven is a mature YA paranormal that I highly recommend!

General Comments

Edgy. Raw. Real. These are just a few of the words that come to my mind when I think about this book. Haven piqued my interest with it’s beautiful cover, its hook: “Sometimes Beauty is the Beast”; and with its promise of a male protagonist, who isn’t ‘special’ and who isn’t an innocent. Needless to say, I was not disappointed and I went on a journey with Rain that wasn’t only about him discovering what was going on in his funky, new town, but discovering what he most wanted for himself.

Critical Review

A bit of backstory, Rain is a bit of a bad boy. Not the dark-haired, dark-eyed, make-you-swoon-with-just-one-look type bad boy, but the type that sleeps on the street and in shelters and is considered a lost cause by most people who pass through his life. His life is bleak, and a tragic event, sees him on a bus to the only person who wants him, the family he didn’t know he had. In a new town, he’s determined to get a fresh start and he even meets a girl! Cue the instant attraction and this is where it gets interesting: even though he’s drawn to her almost from the beginning, the author manages to let this attraction grow realistically as different things about Freddie keep not adding up and he becomes more and more determined to find out her secret and ends up falling in love.

So, if it wasn’t clear before, I don’t tend to read many YA books with male protagonists and I was really intrigued to see how he’d be written, especially by a female author. Mary Lindsey uses the third person to present Rain’s story, drawing us into his head but also creating a mood through her writing that never made me feel like I wasn’t immersed in a boy’s experiences.

Rain, as a protagonist, is wonderfully complex. He’s had a horrible start to life, he’s used to feeling like a bad luck and to feeling like he’s something to be avoided. In all, he seems like he’s been pretty let down by most adults who come into his life and while he’s willing to do what he has to protect himself, he’s not willing to lose himself to his negative experiences. In the face of tragedy, and then intrigue and then danger, we’re presented with a character who just wants to do better for himself, who wants to find his place, who wants to love and be loved.

Moth, Ruby, Freddie, Grant and Petra were some of the cast of diverse and well developed characters woven into this story. Each of them had been created with a primary, driving, which could be clearly seen influencing their actions through out the book. While there were a few characters who started out a little two-dimensional, by the end of the story they had become real people who had been shaped and revealed by the events of the book.

Overall, it was a really well-written story, bundled into a book with a beautiful cover, an amazing hook, and an intriguing blurb. Definitely a book I would have picked up in a book store and definitely a book I would buy.

Rating Conclusion

Haven was truly a joy to read and has reminded me that YA with male protagonists can be a pretty good thing. With a well-developed protagonist, who’s driven by more than just a pretty face, Haven earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I really do wish a few characters had been a bit more well-developed throughout the story as opposed to waiting until the end; I felt as though I missed out on what potentially great people these characters could be.

Intriguing book that had me turning page after page wanting to find out what was going on with Freddie.