Review: Awakening the Nightmare by Lanie Malone

Awakening the Nightmare by Lanie Malone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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I was given this book to read in exchange for a review. I have to say that upon reading the summary for it that it sounded like something I would enjoy. And for the most part I did. Miss Malone is by no argument a good writer who can easily capture the reader's interest.

So let's start with the characters of the book. The lead character, Corinne "Cory" DeLacy quickly intrigued me. It was known right off that Cory was hiding a secret about who she was and aspects of her past which is one reason why I had trouble putting down the book as I had to find out just what she was hiding. I enjoyed this character a lot - she was strong, passionate, level-headed and caring. She took in those who needed safety and shelter, she did what she could to protect them. That in itself was admirable.

Opposite of Cory was Nick - I wasn't too crazy about him. He came off as selfish and a bit controlling to me for a big part of the book. Then did a complete 180 when he suddenly was no longer wary of a woman he knew nothing about and found himself in love with her. Whereas I'm happy they found their happily ever after, I don't think he was the best choice for someone like Cory and it came off as a bit rushed to me.

I definitely loved the cast of characters that Cory had "taken in" for protection, especially the bartender fae who despite what people may think was a large male. I wish we could have found out more about Edge as he intrigued me as well with his relationship with Cory and how well they played off of one another. I would also love to read more about Cory's father, "Belly" as she called him. Perhaps in the future, we'll see their stories expanded on if Miss Malone makes this into a series. So if I were to rate the characters in this book? 4 out of 5 stars.

As for the plot, it dragged a bit for me at first. Upon starting the book, I was a bit afraid that the story was going to follow the same pattern as many other "supernatural" books I have read and feared after a few chapters that I would be correct in this assumption. I wanted something different and thankfully mid-way through this book, it picked up and added in a few twists and turns that I hadn't been expecting. I won't ruin the storyline, though. So no spoilers here. I would give the plot a 3 out of 5 mostly due to beginning.

Cory's secret. To be honest, I had it figured out before she even told her story. This disappointed me a bit as I do like a bit of surprise when reading a book. And I think it took away a bit of a wow-factor that would have came with the admission of what she was and how she got to be that way. However, the back story was much appreciated and added to who Cory was. I would give this a 3 out of 5.

All in all, I highly suggest this book for a weekend read and look forward to other stories written by Miss Malone. A big thank you to the author for allowing me to read her novel. I appreciate it. My review was not changed in any form or fashion in regards to this.