A wonderfully written twist on the classic story of Beauty and the Beast, Haven had me hooked from the get go. Aaron (Rain) Ryland has not had an easy life. Orphaned, he's given a second chance when his aunt, who he knew nothing about, takes him in and he moves to New Wurzburg, Texas. Life is about to get very strange. This little town is hiding a plethora of secrets, including those about his own parents, but nothing is more mysterious than the lovely Friederike (Freddie) Burkhart. Intrigued by her sass and beauty, Rain isn't afraid to let her know he's interested and he's not going to be scared off by her cousins or her attitude.

Written in the Male POV, New Wurzburg's small town is seen through the eyes of Rain, an outsider, who immediately realizes there's something not quite right in this so called sleepy town. Rain is a character that is unwilling to let life drag him down. Strong, determined, and resourceful, he fights for Freddie to let him in and ends up thrust straight into a paranormal world that he never expected.

Filled with mystery and romance, this is probably one of my favorite YA books I've read this year. I'm deliberately keeping this vague because half the fun of this book is the mystery behind every character's role, especially the main characters and who can you trust when it's a race against time and you don't know who is after you. While this was a YA, I think this would be geared toward an older YA crowd as there's some heavy kissing and while there aren't any actual sex scenes, they do have sex several times in the book and we are told they do which I was good with but some others might not be. All in all, I can not wait to read more from this author!

First of all, this cover is AMAZING! When I first laid eyes on it on the NetGalley site I knew I had to look into it. Rain is an orphan moving to the town of New Wurzburg, hoping to find a place where he can actually be himself. He hides behind his pseudo “beast” side to protect himself from those around him until he comes across Freddie. Freddie is first introduced to us as this mystery girl who is surrounded by rumors, police telling Rain to stay away, and threats from people he doesn’t know.

This book is a thriller, romance, and filled with a new twist on the supernatural. How? You’ll have to find out...

Thank you to Entangled Teen for allowing me the chance to read & review a copy of Haven early. It was a book that ended up surprising me!

Haven is about a young man, Rain, who moves to his Aunt’s town. He meets a strange girl, Freddie, and is immediately drawn to her mystery. Eventually Rain finds himself involved in a town’s weird, supernatural politics – twisting himself into it all and get himself into danger.

Plot –

I surprisingly felt myself enjoying this plot line, despite there being a relatively quick attraction between main characters (which I hate). However the author made it work and dragged their relationship throughout the book, and the chemistry was there between them from the beginning.

I wont lie though, the plot WAS confusing at times. Only because the world that the author introduces us to has so many rules and whatnot that make it a little hard to follow. I was still able to mostly understand what was going on – but of course here and there I got lost. I understood the novel nevertheless, the overall plot was obvious.

Here and there were a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, which made the story much more enjoyable. There were so many action scenes, and I was honestly thrilled start to finish. It does get a little bit descriptive with the gore so I wouldn’t suggest this for the younger side of YA. The romance is also pretty mature.

But yes anyways – this was a fantastically crafted plot by the author. It reminded me a bit of twilight, but honestly way darker and way more interesting. I highly suggest this for fans of supernatural or werewolf plots.

Characters –

This was one of those books where you can’t really tell who’s good or who’s bad. Some characters started off as jerks, but then as you got to know them you understood them better. Everyone was so complex; no characters were flat or static, all were dynamic and changed throughout the novel. And let me tell you there are SO many characters. Usually when there are a lot of characters in a novel I get very confused with who is who, but not with Haven. Everyone was so separate in their personalities that it was easy to remember names and characters.

Overall –

I very much enjoyed this book, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I feel like it was a bit too jumbled here and there with the story, as it’s such a complex world that’s thrown at you. I would love to see possible sequels or other stories in this world! Haven comes out today I believe soooo gooo buy a copy!! See below for a snippet

hank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review. I also want to say Thank you to Entangled Teen for the surprise Haven box. It was amazing.


Rain has to move to New Wurzburg because his mother died and his Aunt Ruby is taking him in. Soon after he arrives there he meets Freddie and is immediately taken by her. When she confesses to him that she believes her father was murder he is instantly drawn into her crazy world.


Which isn't at all what it seems and Freddie isn't what she seem. Soon Rain realizes that New Wurzburg is hiding all kinds of secrets, and when he finds out that his father was Ruby's husband. He realizes that even his family has secrets.


Can he keep Freddie alive while the unravel the mystery of her father's murder? Will his family secrets be the death of him?


I know that I was super vague but upon looking at the synopsis for the story I realized the author doesn't want to give away some things either, so I am following that and also we all know that I hate spoilers. I think it adds to the story to discover some things by reading them.


I don't often read too many stories from a male pov, not that this is deliberate it just happens that way, but I liked Rain. He was a street kid and is shocked to find out about the home his Aunt Ruby has, and that his mother hid things and even lied to him in some cases.


Freddie is just like my spirit person. She is amazing and I love her! This appears to be a standalone but it kind of ended like there is a possibility of other stories. It was left a tad unfinished in my opinion.

ARC provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for honest review.

I decided to read this book because I though the plot was really fascinating. I loved how the author approached in a unique way a well know story such as Beauty and the Beast making it different and special in so many ways.

The book was overall a really good read and I’m happy I got the chance to read this story; there were some parts which kept me on edge and I couldn’t wait to read more and discover all the character’s secrects but there was just something missing from making me complitely fall in love with it.

The story was a bit of a slow burn especially at the beginning and I didn’t get the feeling of I-can’t-put-this-book-down until later in the story.

Don’t get me wrong, the book was really interesting, and I loved the characters but there were some slow parts that didn’t hook me in.

I loved the characters, especially Rain with his troubled past and good heart and I’m IN LOVE with him and Freddie.

I really liked the general idea of the book and I though it was really well written.

​Rain has spent most of his 17 years bouncing between homeless shelters and the street with his drug addicted mom, learning that life is not easy. When his mom dies, he is surprised to find himself sent to the middle of nowhere to live with an aunt he didn't even know existed. Rain is trying hard to fit into this strange, small town life thing, but something just feels off about the town. To make things more complicated he is drawn to Freddie, a tough hard edge girl that everyone says is bad news. Rain learned on the streets to trust his gut instinct, and it is telling him that something is wrong, and Freddie is right at the center of it.

I had heard Haven mentioned a ton recently, but I did not realize that it had previously had a different title and cover, so I didn't put the two together (both were on my to-read list). Can I just say that the new cover and title are so much more appropriate for the content of the book? Oh, and mysterious, giving nothing away. I had no idea what the story was really going to be about but I had heard good things and it had crept up to one of my most anticipated reads for the fall over the last few months. That being said, I had some high expectations when I started the story.
​Eeek, did I mention that I love the particular topic that this book just so happens to be about?! Yeah, so the story instantly became love for me when a particular paranormal thing was made apparent. And yes, I am being super vague because I don't want to give away any spoilers and ruin any surprises, but anyone who knows me knows why I am ever so excited.

The story was completely narrated by Rain which I loved- I can't remember any other male narrated teen mystery/romances/paranormal stories I have read, making this standout for me. We meet Rain as he is beating a guy senseless for potentially hurting a girl, and I was a little entranced. Here we have this large, aggressive, tough street kid, but he has a good heart, saving innocent girls and watching over the weak. He had quite the swagger, but he needed a hug more than anybody I met. When he described how he got his nickname, my heart melted for him. I enjoyed how he used the word "whatever" in all situations as a was to shove his true feelings away (coping mechanism) and to give himself some bravado. It was seriously his go to in any situation he was out of his league- He feels he is being watched, he mutters "whatever", he gets into a fight, he says "whatever". It really became an all purpose word in Rain's hands
​
And yes, since this story is narrated by a hormone riddled teen boy, we do have some thought and acts of sex. Woah, the book got unexpectedly hot, there was practically steam rising off the pages at a few encounters! The fact he could pretend he wasn't openly staring at a certain girl's unexpected naked arrival was impressive. As a side note, I appreciated how in touch Freddie was with her own sexuality as well though, the fact she was forward about getting it and came prepared with condoms to protect herself was pretty refreshing.

I am like 99% sure that this is a standalone story because the plot and the world semed to wrap up nicely. That being said, I would gladly take more books about Rain, or at least set in this world, but I am ok with how things are now. I do enjoy a good standalone since I get sucked into series against my will usually. I can't wait to read more from Mary, and I will now need to get my grabby hands on her Shattered Souls book next.

I received this title for reviewing purposes. Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ for more book stuff

One small town, two warring peoples, and a grisly mystery unfolding beneath the moon. HAVEN is both a haven and a hell, filled with chilling secrets and too many mysteries drenched in blood. Teeming with werewolves and witches straining against each other and amongst themselves in a never-ending turf war, one long-forgotten stranger arrives just in time to become the answer for some and the bone for others.
-pooled ink Reviews

Rain is in for a few shocks. He had more family, outside his mother who recently passed away. That his aunt, his mother’s identical, twin wants custody of him. That he is overwhelming welcome back to his mother’s hometown, when he and his mother had been living homeless on the streets. And the biggest shock is his connection to an unusual girl that sits in the front of the class at his new school.

Rain’s meeting with Fred, Friederike, was life-changing. He immediately knew something was different about her, but when he finds out what’s really going on, not just his and Fred’s lives are at stake.

Haven is not your typical young adult read. If you are more conservative, you might want to take a pass because it does contain sex.

That being said, I was hooked. Mary Lindsey wove an intricate tale of intrigue, plot twist and a love story that was destined to happen. Be ready to get your pulse pounding because the telling is action- intense and suspense-filled, accented by some machinations that will leave you reeling.

I received this ARC copy of Haven from Entangled Publishing, LLC - Teen. This is my honest and voluntary review. Haven is set for publication November 7, 2017.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Mary Lindsey
Series: Haven (Book 1)
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
ISBN-10: 1633758834
ISBN-13: 978-1633758834
Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/have...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Haven-Mary-Lin...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/have...

Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

12 likes

An amazing read from the very first word to the last period. The story pulls you in with heart pounding ferocity leaving you breathless and hooked. Despite the paranormal setting, the characters are intricately human, flawed, and relatable. Mary Lindsey's words weave together a story of love and loss, of rising above the obstacles that would drag you down, and embracing yourself and your place in the world. A must read!

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this book at first since I saw it promoted at a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I didn’t see it at first. I actually didn’t see if for a while, but as the story progressed and the parts I was confused about at the start, starting fitting into place, so the BATB part start fitting in.

This is one of those “rare YA” ones where the main character is a male, and the story is told from his point of view, which was a breath of fresh air. I thought that the author did a great job portraying Rain the way she did. Actually I think she did a great job with all the characters, they all felt very real and relatable. I found myself liking Petra the most even thought she didn’t have that huge of a part in the book, just something about her I really liked and I’d love to have a friend like her.

I don’t want to give too much away about the book, but I did like how the story was told and the secrets that a portion of the town hid from those that are outsiders and even those that have lived in town their whole life and had no direct line involved. I’ll admit this confused me at first, but like I said before as the story went along and the when pieces were fitting together to bring about the whole picture was such a great read.

There is a bit of violence near the end of the book, one scene in particular may make you a bit squeamish, I know I gasped and wanted to cover my eyes just from being a visual reader.

Don’t let the page count scare you, it doesn’t feel at all like a book that is that long, the pacing is very fluid and constant.

This looks to be a stand alone, but I do hope that somewhere down the road that there will be more from Rain, Freddie, Greg, Petra and the rest of the pack.

I requested this book because the twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale seemed very interesting, and it was getting rave reviews. I did enjoy approximately the first 30% of the book. I read the entire first half before I ended up giving up.

The book started out very creepy and fast paced and it really drew me in. Rain had a fun, snarky voice, and I liked him. Although the nickname Rain is awful in my opinion. However, after he and Freddie really started getting together and he found out her secret (which was super obvious anyway, it could have been a tad more subtle) Rain seemed to lose his fun, smart personality. He became so focused on Freddie and really didn't do or think about much of anything else. He just became rather one dimensional and boring. I though Freddie and her crew and the whole town were a little over the top. The mythology with the spells and watchers and all seemed hokey. I know it stems from the original fairytale, but the way it was set up really wasn't working for me.

Ultimately, although there were aspects I wasn't super thrilled about, I would have kept reading to find out what was going on in the town and how it would get sorted out, if I cared about the characters. I did initially, but that died the farther through the book I progressed. And I stopped reading when I realized I was forcing myself to read the words but I wasn't absorbing anything because I really just did not care about the characters at all any longer, or what happened in the rest of story.

The writing itself was refreshingly clear and to the point. It made it very easy to just fly through the book. I'm disappointed that this one didn't work for me. But I would still recommend checking it out yourself if the premise sounds interesting to you.

I went into this book without knowing anything about it. I didn’t even read the synopsis.

I liked Rain and Freddie well enough. They’re both tough and struggling and yet, still fighting. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow and change. There were a lot of other characters and honestly, it was a bit too much for me to keep track of. There were a few stand outs: Merrick, Bridgette, and Petra, I’m looking at you.

Plot wise, it was a bit slow. Much like the overload of characters, it seemed like an overload of history and mechanics to what was going on. There were little bursts of things happening and the lulls between those bursts is where I sort of started to lose interest.

This all sounds like I didn’t like it, but I did. I enjoyed the story and the overall idea of it. Plus the ending was satisfying. However, for me it lacked the spark that would have made me rabid for it. I look forward to seeing what Mary writes next.

**Huge thanks to Entangled for providing the arc free of charge**

HAVEN is one of the best paranormal young adult novels I have read this year. The story is told from Rain’s point of view as we follow him on a journey after his mom’s death. Rain grew up on the streets with his mother being the only family he has. His life has been anything but easy bouncing around from place to place and school to school. When his mother dies from an overdose the court orders he move to Texas with the only family he has left, an aunt he never knew existed. The five hour bus ride to his new home is full of uneasy what ifs. Knowing that nothing in his life has ever worked out he is not sure what to expect. When he meets his Aunt Ruby, he is taken back because she looks exactly like his mother. Ruby and his mother were twins. Rain finds the small town to be anything but normal. You will not figure out what is really going on until the end. Lindsey writes in a way that will have you second guessing everything along the way. You will fall in love with Freddie and the way she controls her cousins who are always around but never putting up with all their crap.

Freddie and Rain have an interesting relationship at best. It is anything but normal. This book will draw you in at hold you on the edge of your seat until the end. Then you will be surprised at what happens and why. I really enjoyed reading this novel so much so that I could not put it down. I just had to know how it would all end. Overall, I highly recommend this outstanding young adult novel to anyone who loves a good paranormal fantasy that is full of twists, turns, and second guesses.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing and Entangled Teen for the ARC, Haven by Mary Lindsey in exchange for an honest review. I could not put this book down! I immediately loved Rain; he was a tough teen with a tenacious heart of gold for anyone he cared about. After living in shelters most of his life due to his mom’s drug addiction, Rain and best friend, Moth, use their fists to handle most problems. When his mother dies, an aunt he did not even know existed, brings him to the small town of New Wurzburg and his life is turned upside down. I was sucked into Rain’s intense feelings for Freddie, a strong girl who seems to be from the wrong side of the tracks. For fans of Maggie Stiefvater fantasy series, this book will hook you, drag you into a world of shape shifting, bullies, evil, lies, and secrets. As Rain learns more about Freddie, her father’s death, and her hidden world, he becomes such a hero in my book. He is all in when it comes to protecting those he loves- Rain is willing to die to help Freddie and she fights his offers to help (she is so afraid he will be killed). I loved both Rain and Freddie’s intensity, their romance was sizzling, and their combined skills made this a super thrilling paranormal read. Highly recommended!

This was a good book. A werewolf pack living amongst humans. There are some new interesting elements that go along with the werewolves. A huge conspiracy unfolds inside and outside of the pack, some interesting unseen twists there. I like the that the new pack alpha is going to be a young female. I like that this has a reality element of the political power struggle even among the paranormals. I like that a troubled boy with a crappy life finally finds a home.

I loved the cover of Haven by Mary Lindsey and when I read an excerpt of this book, I realized this book is one I needed to read. This tale that will have you wondering who really is the monster throughout the entire book and you won’t stop trying to figure out what is going on in New Wurzburg.

Rain Ryland hasn’t had an easy life. He and his mother have lived in shelters and on the street throughout his entire life so when his mother dies, and he finds out he has an aunt who will take him in, he is a bit surprised and a lot confused as to why his mother preferred to live that way as opposed to relying on family.

When Rain gets to New Wurzburg, he senses something different about the people and the town, but he has never really fit in anywhere, so he isn’t that surprised that he stands out here too. Rain is immediately drawn to Freddie and despite her doing her best to push him away, Freddie is also drawn to Rain. I thought the way the relationship was developed between these two characters was well done. Freddie does her best to keep Rain out of danger and her life but there are external factors at work that she just can’t stop.

I loved how Lindsey developed the characters in this book. Not only Rain and Freddie but also Grant, Petra, and Ruby. We get to learn everything that is going on right along with Rain and pieces of information come from every angle. I thought it was interesting how we get Ruby’s story which provided more information on why Rain’s mother made the decisions she did. I really loved how Ruby and Rain’s relationship developed and how they became family.

Freddie’s family was interesting to say the least. With a pack mentality, there were those that accepted her place and others that weren’t supportive. As she continues to search for the truth behind her father’s death, she is definitely not as secure in her leadership as she would hope. As we start to learn more about Freddie and her family as well as their relationship with the weavers, thing start to become clearer. Add to that the groups intentions for Rain and the pace and danger begin to pick up.

That’s about all I can say without ruining anything. Just know that Lindsey wrote a story that not only has well developed characters, but she built them around a paranormal story that had me unable to put the book down until I knew how things were going to end. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more from Lindsey in the future. If you are looking for a story that will have you turning the pages to see what happens, consider checking this one out.

This book was labeled as a YA Paranormal Romance, but really it is SO MUCH more than that! It is a YA Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Suspense & Thriller. There’s just so much going on. There are so many mysteries, unanswered questions from the past in this town. When Rain comes to live with his Aunt Ruby he starts to look for answers, especially about his father. The more he looks for answers, the more mysteries he stumbles upon. He meets Freddie and is immediately drawn to her, but it’s complicated.

The characters in this book are so great!! I would love for there to be follow up stories on some of these characters! My favorite character was Petra, and I would love to see more written about her life. If you read the book, you’ll see what I mean! These characters need to go further. A series would be awesome!!

This book was such a cleverly constructed book. It starts out pulling at the heartstrings and more of a paranormal romance, but gradually becomes something of such substance that puts its hooks into you, so that you don’t want to put it down. It has characters that have truly unique quirks and personalities, some are "Watchers" and some are "Weavers" and some are human...but they are all such an intricate part of the story.

I loved this. It is definitely one of my favorites of 2017. Mary Lindsey will be a new author I keep my eye on for sure! I highly recommend this, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

"We all hide a beast inside us. The only difference is what form it takes when freed."

A definite page turner that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!

This book was so good and almost addicting. From the time we picked it up, we didn't want to put it back down. It has an almost Twilight type a fell to it (if we dare compare the two) but it is definitely it's own story!

Haven is a fast paced, fun read that is not only paranormal but mysterious and suspenseful. We definitely recommend it.

Is Rain Ryland dark and dangerous or has life and the school of hard knocks never allowed him to fit in? After his mother’s death, he has the chance to start over, leaving the nightmares of the city behind and moving to a small town with the aunt he never met. Meeting his aunt the first time was a shock, but meeting Friederike Burkhart would become a life-changing event in more ways than he ever could imagine. Rain is about to enter the world of witchcraft and shapeshifters, it won’t make life any easier, but it just may be a place where he finally belongs.

HAVEN by Mary Lindsey is breaking some young adult paranormal molds, and I mean shattering them! Forget what you thought you knew about the genre, because this time out, the damsel in distress is more than capable of taking care of herself, all she needs is a little support and the backing of her pack, until she meets Rain and finds he may be the missing link she has always felt.

Mary Lindsey has tossed out the rule book, turned tables on the genre and given us a young man who discovering a hidden world, and he is not afraid to stand up to the bullies who live in it. Actually, that chip on his shoulder that Rain came to New Wurzburg with is easily being whittled away, thanks to his aunt, the stories she tells and the desperate need for one young man to be something, beside a teen labeled as trouble. Feel the grit, the tension, and the turmoil as well as the longings that rage inside Rain as we see this tale from his eyes and his heart. Moments of sweetness, heartache and insecurity will pull on your heartstrings as one teen finds a girl he can are about and she becomes like the fuel to his fire of determination as he vows to stop at nothing to keep her safe when the paranormal world is against her.

Mary Lindsey has a fresh, fast-paced and tension-filled tale that is magnetic from start to finish!

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC edition from Entangled Publishing.

Publisher: Entangled: Teen (November 7, 2017)
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Genre: YA Paranormal Suspense
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com