Welcome to my stop on the Banished From Grace blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. For my stop you can read my review of Banished from Grace by Aria Williams :). Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!
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Title: Banished from Grace
Author: Aria Williams
Series: Banished from Grace #1
Publication Date: June 7, 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: e-arc provided by author for Blog Tour
Description from Goodreads:
Nardia is a very special nurse, one with a unique gift. With the touch of her bare hands, she can heal any physical ailment. With the help of her angel guide, Benilde, Nardia has healed her way through countless centuries.
Life should be easy for this attractive (not to mention, immortal) woman, but throw in two handsome men, a coffee addiction and memory loss that dates back to the medieval ages, and you’ve got a life that’s more than complicated.
When she meets AJ at her favorite coffee shop, she can’t help but feel an immediate attraction to him. At the same time, she knows there’s more to his story than what he’s letting on. And then there’s the handsome Doctor Regan, who she feels a connection with, but is she trying to make it more than is really there in order to spare her the heartbreak of being with AJ?
Only adding to her problems is the new resident, Dr. Jeffries, who seems out to get her from day one, and a murder case she can’t help solve without revealing her own secrets.
Can Nardia uncover the secrets of her own past while still moving forward and saving those in need of her help in the present?
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My Thoughts:
I was really looking forward to reading Banished from Grace by Aria Williams. I read the synopsis and thought that it was going to love it, and there were so many 5 star reviews that I seriously thought it was going to be great. Unfortunately, Banished from Grace did not meet my expectations :(.
I am going to start off by explaining the things I had problems with, and why I just didn't get into it.
The first thing I had a problem with was the setting of the story. The majority of the story takes place in a hospital. Don't get me wrong, the author did a great job in explaining all the medical terms and what not, but I just couldn't get into it. I just felt that the story was stuck in that one place. There were not a lot of interesting things happening, because Nardia was stuck in trying to solve what truly happened with a girl's and boy's father (can't expand on this, because I don't want to ruin the story).
The second problem I had with the story was Nardia's character. Don't get me wrong, there are a few qualities that I loved about her character, but I just couldn't quite connect with her character. This girl really got on my nerves when it comes to relationships. Nardia has two love interests in Banished from Grace, Regan and AJ, and one of these I just don't like at all! I seriously felt like jumping in the book and slapping some sense into Nardia. When I thought she was going to pick the right guy, she goes on and picks the guy I don't like. The other problem I had with Nardia's character is that she sort of complains about being immortal. I understand where she is coming from with this, because she has had to see all of the people she knew, loved, and cared about die when she just keeps on living.
The third thing I had a problem with, and thought was really random was one of the sex scenes. This is one of the first sex scenes, and it happens really early in the story. I just felt that this was a really random place in the story for the characters to have sex. One minute she is walking her dog where she comes to one of the guys place, and the next minute she is inside having sex with him. They have not even known each other for a day, and they are already having sex, but later on in the book I understand the quick connection between these two. But still this sex scene just came out of the no where.
A few of the things I did like about the story.
The first thing I LOVED about the story was AJ. I just felt in love with this character the moment I read about him. Who wouldn't fall in love with him? He is sweet, caring, mysterious, speaks different languages, makes kick-ass coffee, can sing to your very soul, and is a total hottie. I wish there were more AJ scenes in the story, because whenever he appeared the story got interesting.
The second thing I loved about the story was the way Nardia starts to remember fragments of her past. These were definitely my favorite scenes in the story. Aria Williams did a wonderful job in coming up with this idea (the way she is able to remember her past). It sort of reminded me of the novel Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz, and how her characters remember their past lives, but it is very different from Aria Williams. You will just have to read the book to understand, because there is no way I can explain it without ruining the story.
I loved the whole paranormal concept of the story. I thought the character's powers were really unique, and different from what I have read before. I have only read a few of these books before, but the powers of these characters stand out from what I've read before. I don't know if this will be the same case for other readers, but to me it was unique.
Overall, I just couldn't connect with the majority of the story and Nardia's character. Just when the story was getting interesting for me, something would happen that I would just lose my interest all over again.
Will I be reading the second book in the series? Hell Yes! Just when the story was getting interesting Aria Williams ends it with a Cliff Hanger!!!! I scrolled down on to keep reading, and I realized that I had just reached the end. I just have to read the second book to see what will happen next. I would also love to know more about the rest of the characters, because what I learned is that they are not what they seem to be. Can't wait to get my hands on the second book!
Final Verdict: 3.5 Stars
