At first this book was a little on the confusing to "This is slightly dumb side", but then it started picking up more and I came to really enjoy this book. I'm a big fan of Christina Dodd so when I was at the "This is slightly dumb" stage I was a little upset. I like how this series takes place many years after the darkness chosen series, and how the Wilder's besides Alexandr was mention from time to time. Fortunately the book pick up and in the end I quite enjoyed it. ( )

I picked up this book at a used book store and went into it not really knowing anything about the author or her previous series. I felt the concept was interesting, the seven chosen ones fulfilling their destiny fighting evil. I was a little annoyed by Jacqueline's attitude. She had nothing but negative things to say about her adoptive mother. I think kids have to reach a point in their lives where they stop blaming everything on their parents and take responsibility for how their life is going.

I have the second book in the series waiting for me. I will probably read it to see how the story progresses. An entertaining read, but not a great one. ( )

Storm of Visions
3 Stars
Synopsis:
The Chosen are men and women destined to use their powers for either good or evil. Jacqueline Vargha has always rejected her gift but now that Caleb D'Angelo has forced his way into her life, she can no longer deny her destiny.

Review:
An intelligent premise and an intricately constructed world. Nevertheless, it was difficult to get into the story and I eventually read it on my second attempt.

The beginning is very appealing and pulls you right in but the plot starts to lag once the Chosen Ones get together. It eventually picks up just past the middle and the ending is action packed. One of the most entertaining aspects is the sabotage subplot, which has enough red herrings to keep you guessing right up until the end. The paranormal elements are subtly woven into the characterization and the fact that each member of the Chosen Ones has their own unique ability is compelling.

Where Storm of Visions falls completely flat is with the romance, perhaps due to the fact that a large portion of the book is dedicated to world building rather than developing the relationship between the leads. In any case, Jacqueline and Caleb do have chemistry but this fails to compensate for their inability to make me care about them as a couple They both come off as cold and unfeeling, and it took too long for their backstory to be revealed (I might have liked them better if it had been forthcoming earlier). Jacqueline in particular is immature and annoying, and she does a sudden and inexplicable about face in terms of her feelings for Caleb that left me completely unconvinced.

The secondary characters fare a little better, and I am particularly interested in Samuel and Isabelle’s connection and in finding out the role of the “dead man” in subsequent books.

In sum, the writing is good and the underlying themes are interesting enough for me to continue reading the series. ( )

This is a Paranormal Romance Novel. It has a fresh approach to the genre basics. I really enjoyed the world building. The main characters are Jacqueline Vargha and Caleb D'Angelo. Jacqueline's adoptive mom is Zusane. Jacqueline is a Seer working at a vineyard at the opening of the book. Caleb is Zusane's bodyguard and has been working for Zusane since he was little.

In the beginning Jacqueline seemed to be a walking contradiction which was a little annoying. that being said, it was explained really well later in the book so I didn't have a problem with it after finishing. Jacqueline and Caleb have known each other for all there lives (just about). Caleb grew up working for her mom, so she was pretty much off limits. You can imagine how well that went. As a result of their past relationship Jacqueline doesn't really want much to do with Caleb when he shows up on her doorstep. It's almost predictable that my favorite character was Caleb, but I loved him just about from the start. He has the Italian bodyguard thing going for him. He never hid his feelings for Jacqueline and only left the first time because her mom (his boss) asked him to let her finish college. He was willing to do anything for her.

It was interesting to read about Jacqueline getting her visions. They were so real and well written. I can't think of any scenes that I didn't like. The writing was strong and smooth. Like I said before I liked the world building. The character dialog was believable. There were a few parts that I reread to make sure I understood it completely but that wasn't because I had to, it was because I wanted to. I was engulfed in the story completely and found some of the dialog made me laugh.
Example:
"Then I want to talk about what happened two years ago between us."
No way, mister. She rolled to the other side of the mattress and swung her feet off the bed. "You go ahead. I'll just go into the bathroom and shut the door."

I plan to continue the series. I don't normally recommend a series until I've read more than one so that I can see how consistent the series is. So we'll see how the next one goes. ( )

Very poor character development. Too many gaps and attention to worthless conversations. The storyline has good potential but she could not give it any depth or explanation. I did finish the book, so it gets two stars instead of one. She will not be someone I read again soon. ( )