Catch Me When I Fall

Release: 23rd October 2014 Recommend: If you want an original spin on a supernatural romance. Rating: 4/5 stars

At the heart of this novel is a simple, clean idea which is shockingly original. Dreamcatchers are like guardian angels of the night, protecting us regular living humans in our sleep from the Nightmares, which are vicious creatures that feed on fear.

The story is told from first person –and a male perspective for once. Daniel is a Dreamcatcher who is burnt-out from two hundred years of successfully protecting his charges while they sleep. After successfully protecting his last charge for eighty years, he needs a break. Instead, he’s assigned a dangerous case, Kayla, who is a psychiatric patient with an unprecedented amount of nightmares attacking her.

I’ll stop there. The blurb I originally read went on to reveal a few more exciting hooks, but I think it ruins the novel when the blurb mentions twists which are over 3/4 into the novel. Instead, I’ll let you know there’s plenty of action and plot twists to keep you entertained.

I was a bit wary at the start. I could tell the general direct of the book just by the cover and was a little concerned that I've basically already read this in one form or another. But this was far more original and had more to it than Hush Hush and Twilight and other books with supernatural forbidden romances. In fact, I feel like this book should have come first, and it might be appreciated more if it had.

The characters are believable, natural, with their own struggles in life (and death too, as Dreamcatchers are appointed after a person dies saving another). Leigh layers on the details softly. At first I felt a little confused, but I didn’t mind as the story carried me along. And the longer I was in the book, the clearer the concept became. That’s how books should be.

What made me know it was a great read was that it almost made me miss my stop on the train. Despite the toddler poking me and someone with headphones which might as well be speakers, I became engrossed in the story and had no idea how much time had passed. And when a novel can block out the world and almost mess up my day, you know it’s a good one.

Without talking about spoilers, there were times where I thought Hey, this sounds like x-men/Harry Potter/Supernatural/Twilight/Charmed/City of Bones... Although the idea itself is so fresh and original, the story perhaps isn’t. And the ending... well, isn’t the strength of the book, but I’ll definitely stick with this series.

I received a copy for review from the publishing company.

Catch Me When I Fall was a pretty awesome read! Not your normal fantasy/paranormal story which I enjoyed. This book included wraiths, nightmares, protectors, warlocks and witches. I loved the use of different paranormal characters rather than your average ones. This book was filled with action, drama, twists, turns and romance. It was even a bit steamy. I totally recommend this YA read.

Daniel was an awesome guy! I mean he is like hundreds of years old, but he is stuck at the age 17. His job was being a Dreamcatcher -- fighting off Nightmares to his charges. He was the top protector in his ranks which said a lot about him. I was worried about him because their were points in the story where he sounded depressed and ready to move on and fully die. When he finally met Kayla it was like a light switched off in him and he was locked and loaded. Daniel was definitely a protector for those he loved and even though he tried to be Mr. Macho, he couldn't deny his true feelings Kayla. I mean breaking the laws, constantly battling Nightmares and other beings to protect Kayla, that was love. I absolutely loved him!

Kayla was a unique kind of a girl in every sense. I never thought she was crazy, even when what happened to her was revealed and knowing that she was unique for a reason spiced things up a bit. Kayla was sweet and shy, yet bold when she wanted to be. She kept me on my toes -- especially when she wanted to raunchy with Daniel -- I loved it! Kayla has a big heart and with her powers she can definitely be stronger than anyone, including her father.

Giovanni was a damn snake! I always thought something was up with him and finding out what it was just ticked me off. Not only that, he was a traitor and in love the guy that tried to kill everyone. Insane much. Richard was the evil warlock in this story and let's not forget to mention finding out who he was in relation to Kayla blew my mind! Words can't express how happy I was when he and Kayla had a stand off -- oh Kayla can definitely beat him if need be.

Bartholomew was awesome! I loved him from start to finish. He was always keeping track of Daniel -- kind of like a father. He was there whenever anyone needed him. Trishna was an awesome witch! She reminded of a kickbutt version of the good witch. She was always willing to help out and when things got down to the wire she turned into a women with major fire. Loved her! Samantha was the best-friend who fell in love with her friend and didn't know how to keep her personal emotions out of a professional situation. However, I enjoyed her throughout the story. She definitely had some spunk. Seth was the friend that always did something to keep you laughing. I loved his outgoing ways. Tabbi was just too adorable. She was young, yet strong and knew that she had to help anyway she could.

I loved each character within this story. I definitely loved the idea of Nightmares being demons who feed on peoples fears and trauma. It was different and made for some great action and drama. They were like sisters to what a wraith was in my opinion.

I'm definitely excited to get my hands on the sequel because I need more action and more Kayla and Daniel!

4 stars!

What if the things that go bump in the night were real…with fangs and claws, just waiting to bring out your insecurities and fears night after night, with just a simple touch? For Dreamcatcher Daniel, these nasties – Nightmares – are real, and his job for over two-hundred years has been to kill them and keep his charges safe from their they try to inflict on their slumbering victims. He’s one of the best in his field – imbecile record at keeping people’s dreams peaceful and happy, with the help of the Dreamweavers who literally watch over and weave out all the happy dreams. But when he is assigned a difficult case – a young lady in a mental ward, 16 year old Kayla Bartlett, who claims she light her mother’s boyfriend on fire upon him attacking her, just by thinking about it, he just knows he may have met his match.

While Watching her, she has an abnormally high number of Nightmares that try to attack her, which then go after the Dreamweaver, Tabbi, stabbing her with Daniel’s knife by one of the Nightmares. He gets Tabbi to safety, and gets back to Kayla (as a Dreamcatcher, he has the ability to evaporate anywhere he wants to instantly, just by imagining the place) where he manages to kill the remaining Nightmare who is attacking her. From that night on, Daniel and Kayla inch toward a slippery slope, as a Dreamcatcher’s number one rule is to not tell humans about their kind. But Daniel feels a strange pull toward her, and one night upon an attack, Daniel goes from invisible to corporeal to comfort her, it cements their involvement. And as the attacks on Kayla intensify, as does her attachment to Daniel – so when they notice a wrath coming for them one evening out in Paris (on yes, who doesn’t go on their first date to Paris??), they come to the conclusion that a dark warlock has once again come back to attack using the Nightmares as his catalysts. All hell is about to break loss…but will the budding romance that Daniel and Kayla have last through the impending war?

I really enjoyed Kayla’s character – she is strong, even in the face of the horrors that she faced and put her in the situation she is in when she meets Daniel. She is true to herself and her “friends”. I loved to see the way her and Daniel’s relationship progressed, it was sweet and true (when they weren’t in the throes of danger), even if there is a slight age difference  Overall a good story – but a word to the wise, don’t read this to lull yourself to sleep…sleep will definitely elude you, but the good news is you can finish the book sooner!

This is pasted directly from the blog post I have written and will go live on release day, the 23rd October. This review may be subject to slight changes before it is posted as I tend to tweak them before posting. The posted review will then be shared on Goodreads and Amazon UK

I have to admit up front that I am seriously impressed by this book and how very readable it is. I went into it not expecting too much as I hadn't heard a peep about it before seeing it on Netgalley and thinking it sounded like it could be alright, I made the leap and requested it as I had nothing to lose in doing so. Alright, it most definitely is..... in fact, so alright that I just loved it, it has so much potential to be a fabulous series.

What initially drew me in was the write-up about the book and it had me at Protectors fighting Nightmares. This is something I haven't read about before and had me intrigued from the beginning. The book builds around a central mythos regarding Protectors, both Dreamcatchers and Dreamweavers who work as a two-man/woman teams and then by adding in Nightmares that are physical monsters along with mentions of witches, warlocks and demons you find you're holding a quite captivating and enthralling read.

The central character in this book is Daniel Graham. He's a Protector, a Dreamcatcher, who with his partnered Dreamweaver watches over their given charge as they sleep, protecting them from Nightmares. The Weavers weave the charge a beautiful dream while The Catcher fight off the incoming Nightmares who come to attack the charge, to feed off of their fear and give the charge their worst nightmare. It's tough job but after two hundreds year as a Catcher Daniel is more than up the job. Born in the late eighteen hundreds Daniel dies sacrificing himself to save another. His sacrifice was noted by the Angels and this led him to be chosen to join the ranks of The Protectors. He'll never age and will remain looking like he did when he died at seventeen, he could live forever if he's careful, he's not immortal but can survive more damage than a mortal could.

When Daniel's current charge dies peacefully in her sleep of old age he is given a new charge but this job is going to be the most difficult job he has ever faced. Kayla Barlett is his new charge and is currently a patient in a psychiatric unit as she is suffering from intense and shattering nightmares. She is a mess, tortured by her horrific nightmares but why are so many Nightmares after Kayla? If only Daniel had known what he was getting himself into by helping Kayla he would have passed on the job but little does he know what the future has in store for them both as they are about to take the ultimate rollercoaster ride that will change their lives forever!

What is there to love about this book?

Oh my gosh.... everything! It's a deliciously gripping book from start to finish and I really can't fault it. The book has a grounded and well considered mythos behind it which acts as a great backbone to the story. The idea of Protectors protecting us from harm as we slumber is a stroke of genius and is what made the book special for me. Every part of the mythos is impeccably thought out and only adds to the storyline as we progress through this wonderful tale.

The characters are deep, they are intense and they are for the most part incredibly interesting, each have their own story to tell and each is important the story overall. The relationships between them only add to the feel of the book as the Protectors are a quite close knit community in their own right. They have with their own leadership, ranks and a large Italy based headquarters, they have strict rules and regulations to follow and live quite structured lives, or deaths depending on how you choose to look at it as each and every Protector has lost their original mortal life by sacrifice and are now living a strange sort of Afterlife. There is a comradery between most of The Protectors but there are exceptions to the rule but the gist of their shared existence is the protection of the innocent from harm which comes mainly from Nightmare, physical monsters capable of real damage. The Protectors are our secret Guardian Angels, they work in secret and their charges never know of the nigh-time battle that happen around them as they sleep, The Protectors have the ability to become invisible to the human eye which hide their existence and they are not allowed to let their charges know they are there. I found this to be such an interesting concept and it held my interest throughout and is what made this book such a fantastic read for me.

Daniel being the main narrator for the book is the most interesting single character in the book. He's been through a lot in his mortal and his After lives but he's a strong young man in character. He knows his place in the world and lives for his work but seems to be taken aback completely by his developing feelings for his latest charge, for Kayla. He falls hard for her and in quite an awkward way, it causes a chink in his armour to appear, it makes him a much more relatable character knowing that he has his faults and has a more rebellious side that some of the other Protectors. It all adds together to make an interesting character who is relatable and that you can empathise with.

Another thing to love about the book is the relationship that forms between Daniel and his charge Kayla. You know from the first time you pick the book up that they will have a romantic liason at some point during the book but it's such a lovely relationship to watch forming. Daniel is VERY protective over her and she needs the shelter that he provides as she is genuinely terrified by what is happening to her yet despite her situation she doesn't go into the 'poor me' territory that some female leads do, she doesn't complain about her lot even though she does cry a fair bit but Kayla does end up being a lot stronger for the whole terrible experience she goes through by the end of this book. It's a beautiful relationship to experience and it feel genuine which makes the book all the more rich for it.

Something else that is great about the book is something that I can't really tell you about without spoiling the book but there is a almighty plot twist is store for Kayla and it is one that is so brilliantly crafted that I didn't see it coming at all, it's fabulous and rather gamechanging too!

Was there anything not so good?

I can't really think of anything that I didn't like about the book, everything was on point and important and there was no flab to the book if you know what I mean. It's well conceived and well put together and nothing sticks out as wrong or annoying about it. If I had to be really over critical then maybe you'd have to say something about the romance aspect of the story that sometimes may tend to go a little bit overboard

Was it an interesting and enjoyable read?

As I have already said I found the book very interesting and enjoyable thanks to the great backstory the book has, this is the books major strength and is what holds the book intact throughout the story. It's fascinating to read and keep you completely gripped as you just want to learn more about The Protectors and their unique and fascinating lives.

Was it a well written book?

I think it was, nothing stuck out that annoyed or bugged me. The language used is simple to read and understand, there was nothing hard to grasp about the story or the facts it's based around. Vicki Leigh has very cleverly created a unique backstory based around dreams and nightmares, using demons and monsters as real figures of evil and when you add in the witches, warlocks and magic into the mix you get a lovely smattering of everything I really love in a book. It's a cleverly constructed book that is really surprising, it's full of love and life along with a good dash of death and destruction for good measure too. When the book ramps up to the major destruction it really hits hard and sets the scene for what is going to be an interesting future for the next books in the series.

Would you recommend it to others?

I really would recommend it on it's concept alone as it's a really cool idea for a book and the follow-through is a wonderful read. I was NOT expecting to be so gripped by it, for it to be just as good as it truly is. It's an interesting read, it captivates you completely with a story that is new to me and that I haven't seen before personally. The world-building is immense and so very well created that it becomes the real backbone to what I found to be a wonderful and thoroughly entertaining read. Bring on the next book as I cannot wait to see what lies in store next for this wonderful cat of characters.

I really enjoyed this one. the world-building was probably some of the smoothest I've ever encountered: it was well-developed, was easy for the reader to understand and follow, and it didn't beat me over the head with histories or myths.
The writing flowed well. it was a great mix of fantasy, thriller, and romance. I loved that the romance element never overshadowed the rest of the plot!
this was a great fun read, and one that is totally deserving of a full print run! can't wait for the next one

I loved this book it, the only thing I didn't like was that it was over too soon. Great story and likeable characters with great twists.

The characters were wonderful, and I actually liked Kayla more than I do most characters that fill that role in these YA paranormal romance books. She was likable, and I liked how she didn't instantly feel 100% confident in what was going on. She wanted to learn how to defend herself, but at the same time she knew that she still would need help. Daniel was a very likable and well written character. Not many books written by women tell the story though a guy's eyes, and do it well. This had both. Daniel was realistic and now one of my favorite male protagonists.

The other characters were also great and even though there kind of were a lot, the book didn't get bogged down with a cast of unnecessary characters. Each character was different from the last and they all played some kind of important part in the story.

The story was fast paced with only one very short slow patch, the fighting scenes were a little strange but that can happen when fight scenes are written in first person. The romance didn't really feel like one of those "insta-love" stories either, even though they did fall for each other pretty quickly, they weren't professing thier love with in 5 minuets of meeting each other.

Review on goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1059495395?book_show_action=false

Scheduled to be posted on Blog on October 20th at adventureinbookland.wordpress.com

What grabbed my attention first about this book was the cover. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I totally do. Once I saw the cover I knew I had to read about this book and I was intrigued by what I read. The premise of this novel is unlike other paranormal/fantasy books and I always enjoy that when reading this genre. Daniel became a Protector of the Night upon his death at 17, over 200 years ago. Protectors fight off Nightmares and protect their human charges, who are at risk from the creatures called Nightmares that feed off fear. This premise alone was unique since it was unlike any other YA book I’ve read and I always love finding a YA book that is different.
Daniel finds himself with a new charge to protect: Kayla. In typical YA fashion he is drawn to her even though exposing himself to a human would result in him truly dying and being sent to the void. It soon becomes clear that there is something special about Kayla and more sci-fi/fantasy creatures are introduced including witches, warlocks, angels and demons. Does Daniel reveal himself to Kayla or does he love her from afar? Read the book! I will not spoil this for you!
There are numerous fight scenes and battle scenes feature both males and females, which I appreciate. There is suspense in not knowing who is good and who can be trusted. Will the Protectors survive? Can Daniel protect Kayla? It is questions like these that made me not want to put the book down because I had to know the answers.
Overall I think this was a great start to a series. It lays a lot of groundwork and introduces a lot of interesting mythology that should set up a sequel nicely. I was satisfied with the romance parts and appreciated that they were truly YA and sweet. The beginning of the book is a little slow and predictable, and that is why it does not get a full 5 stars from me. The writing style is good and ends up picking up nicely, but the beginning was a little too boring. However, once I got past the first little bit I really ended up enjoying this book and would definitely read the sequel. Plus, the action, suspense and intrigue pick up and continues throughout the rest of the book nicely. I recommend YA paranormal/fantasy readers pick this book up. If you think you are tired of this genre I would still encourage giving this a try because it was a very unique entry into the ever popular and growing YA paranormal/fantasy genre.

This book was well written and one of the best stories I have read in awhile. The premise and overall story was unique and made it so I didn't want to put it down. I cannot wait to see what happens in the continuation of this story!

Daniel’s a long time Dreamcatcher. He’s the best and damn good at banishing the nightmares from his charges. He’s never had a fall from grace when it comes to his charges. Yet, from first sight Kayla become his kryptonite. He sees her pretty face and can’t help but feel for her and her tragic back story. He knows something isn't right with Kayla’s situation and he’ll break all the rules to keep her safe. Is Kayla worth losing his immortality or is this just a fleeting romantic moment in his long life?

Kayla herself has faced a serious road of trials and tribulations. She roasted her mom’s boyfriend like a marshmallow at a campfire after he tried to sexually assault her. This landed her into the loony bin. Kayla isn’t crazy, but to stay away from her awful memories the psych ward may just be the safest place for her. That is until the nightmares get worse and a man appears out of thin air claiming to be her assigned protector. Maybe she really is losing her mind.

What’s not to love about this story? Daniel’s personality will radiate within your heart and soul. You’ll find as you read this book that Kayla’s situation isn’t as clear cut as it seems to both her and Daniel. This story is unlike any other that I have read. The very premise for this story is unique and engaging. My only compliant is that I wish Kayla as a heroine with some serious fire power would have been more of a tough as nails heroine than a wilting flower with situation dependent violent tendencies. All and all a great beginning to a new series and a hell of a good read.

Daniel has been guarding humans and fighting Nightmares for 200 years. His most recent human died peacefully in her sleep after being guarded for 80 years, and Daniel’s new charge is a 16 year old girl in a psychiatric ward. Her mother put her there for her own protection because Kayla believes her touch caught her mother’s boyfriend on fire. During Daniel’s first night on duty five Nightmares attacked. Multiple Nightmares in one night are unusual and Daniel has never heard of multiple Nightmares at the same time. He is drawn to protecting Kayla even in daytime and after an attack more brutal than usual he breaks the first Law and shows himself to her. In order to protect her from the increasingly vicious attacks, he takes her to his headquarters in Rome. Why are these Nightmares becoming more severe? Are the Protectors themselves in danger?

Catch Me When I Fall is the first book in the Dreamcatcher series. This urban fantasy will delight readers and grab their attention at the beginning. Leigh mentions many previous cases and characters so readers may discover future books that take place before this one. I do want to warn younger readers that there are some descriptive sex scenes and may not be appropriate for the younger YA crowd. I found myself thinking about the characters and where the story was going next when I wasn’t reading the book and I longed to get back to my reading time so that I could discover the ending. I good read and definitely worth my time.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This unique YA paranormal story combines a bunch of different stories into one exciting read. There was a mix of reaper, dream guardian, witch, and angel mythology all rolled into something completely unexpected.

Daniel is a protector, also known as a “catcher,” who is in charge of keeping Nightmares (actual creatures) from attacking people’s dreams. He’s thrown himself into his work since he was first recruited (after his death). The most hard working and determined protector, it surprises everyone when his new charge immediately gets under his skin. She’s a teenager who has been committed because she insists she lit her would-be-rapist on fire with her mind. Daniel finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, revealing the secret world of protectors and developing feelings he thought long dead. Kayla is a damaged girl who is fighting to balance what she thinks and what is real. This situation with her “magical powers” has left her doubting herself every step of the way. Through Daniel, though, she really starts to become one tough cookie.

There’s a ton of fighting and action jammed into this book. Deception, hidden motivations, constant attacks, and kidnapping keep you constantly on the edge of your seat. Just like Kayla, you’re not sure who to trust until the very end. I was completely drawn into this YA romance from start to finish, rooting for this unlikely pair of characters. This unique world certainly has a lot of room to grow and I hope the future installments will give us even more backstory on the protectors involved.

I originally wanted to read this book because of the unique plot line of Dreamcatchers and Nightmares and I will admit, the pretty cover drew me in as well.

Even though I loved the whole concept of the story, I was still leery going into it. I mean, I have been burned by a pretty cover more times than I really care to admit.

Thankfully this turned out to be every bit as fun and original and the synopsis suggested it would be.

I really liked Daniel. He is some what hardened and calloused to the life he has after doing it for so many years but of course, that one special person, that one special girl, changes everything.

This is more than just a romance however, in fact, it probably has just as much action and adventure as it does romance.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to get into the story and how relatable and likable the characters, all of them, were.

This was a fun and entertaining start to a new series.

Daniel has spent the last 200 years as an immortal Catcher. He died while sacrificing for someone else, allowing him to be offered the position of Catcher, one of the elite who kills Nightmares while humans sleep. He is given the hardest assignment of his career, to guard a girl in a mental institute from the devastating creatures. When he first sees her, he is instantly compelled, more than he has a right to be. Daniel has to figure out what to do with his charge while uncovering a dangerous plot.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I am pretty sure I would classify this as a paranormal romance, but geared for an older teen/adult audience (almost new adultish). And yes Daniel is trapped in the body of a 17 year old and Kayla is 16, but the book does have sex included in it, so I would not give it to a teenager per se to read. There is nothing graphic in the book (sex wise, lots of gore from battles though) but sex does occur and is mentioned a few times in the story.
The world building in the book is really unlike anything I have read before. There are catcher and watcher, who are humans that have died, but were granted powers by the Angels to protect mankind from harm. Catchers are the soldiers that protect the humans and battle the Nightmares, where the watchers build nice dreams for the humans to have. Nightmares are actual creatures, not an idea, and they cause a human to see terrible things when they touch them. There are also mages who can be either good or bad depending on personal choice, as well as ghosts and wraith and other supernatural entities are hinted at. Daniel is the main character and I personally love a book told from the male point of view. He was a really good hero, regardless of the obstacles continuously put in front of him. And you could see that he was raised in a different era based on how much of a gentleman he was. I liked that he was so open with Kayla about everything, be it the secret world he lived in or his feelings. The two of them were really cute together. I did have a problem on the number of dates and dress up events the two of them went on. Yes I understand that Daniel was trying to get her mind off everything, but would it have been so hard to put her in some pants with fighting gear when they went out instead of a girly dress? And she asked to be trained, but it never happened. I feel like maybe that should have been made a priority over dancing at a club or touring a market. But maybe that is just me The story ended, but there is so much left that needs to be resolved, that other books are needed for answers. I will definitely read the next book in the series to see what challenges Daniel has to battle next now that his world is thrown on its head.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A very interesting novel that takes a twist on the typical supernatural novel. Very good!

LOVED this book! Can't go wrong with some swoonworthy boys kicking butt. Just saying :)
I'm a huge fan of Daniel. Thought I'd get that out of the way right now. I just love his strength, but also how he is with Kayla. It's that sweet protective side that gets me every time. :) I liked Kayla too, because she didn't start out all perfect, but she still stayed true to herself. The two were a great combination of character and I truly enjoyed the way Vicki wrote them