Mundie Moms

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Book Review: Destiny Binds

 
Written by: Tammy Blackwell
Published by: CreateSpace
Release Date: March 3, 2011
Source: From author for review
Purchase: amazon | Barnes and Noble
3.5 out of 5 stars - It's a very good read.

Synopsis:  Scout Donovan is a girl who believes in rules, logic, and her lifelong love of Charlie Hagan. Alex Cole believes in destiny, magic, and Scout. When Alex introduces Scout to the world of Shifters, men who change into wolves or coyotes during the full moon and Seers, women who can see your most private thoughts and emotions with a mere touch, the knowledge changes everything and everyone Scout thought she knew.

Tammy Blackwell's story is one that even non-Wolf Girls like me can enjoy. Her writing has a sense of fun and she throws in plenty of pop culture references – Buffy, Kim Possible and (hey there) Orlando Bloom. Those made me smile and I have to admit that I looked forward to them. The main character, Scout, has a chatty voice and tells her thoughts and provides back-stories as you meet the characters in her lives. Here’s my favorite example from page 59 and you know me, Mundie Moms, it has to be a romantic scene, right?
   Alex Cole was not the first boy I ever held hands with that honor went to my third grade boyfriend, Jeremy Rande, who bought me a chocolate rose for Valentine’s Day and then moved to Illinois the next week. Over the years there had been others – including Dalton Riley, the asshat Ashley had done the nasty with – but none of those times had felt like this. With the other boys it had merely been skin on skin. I remembered how they always squeezed my hand too tightly or too loosely, how their palms had always been too dry or too sweaty.

  Alex’s hand was perfect. His skin was soft and warm. He held onto me gently, but with confidence. My own hand felt small and delicate wrapped around his.

   I was, at that moment, in possession of the world’s happiest hand.

I love how Tammy wrote the romance in Destiny Binds. It felt real and genuine. Scout’s discovery of the mysterious boy, Alex, and Scout’s relationship with her step-brother, Jase, provide the main plot line which twisted into a unique take on wolf mythology. There are a lot of side references to Scout’s and Jase’s childhood so you feel like you know the siblings rather well. Sometimes, I found these distracted me from the main plot because as a reader I mentally bookmark details I think will become significant in the story. But at the same time, they made me feel like I knew the characters personally and this is a planned series so I’m sure the details will become important as the stories progress.

A favorite moment of mine is how Scout handles finding out about werewolf existence. Her logic is refreshing and yes, humor-filled. Let’s face it, Scout has the same questions I would have in her situation including questioning if vampires, too, exist.

Destiny Binds is a story filled with a sweetness and yet a fierceness in its sense of family and doing what is right. If you enjoy a werewolf story with a different twist, pick up Destiny Binds. Tammy’s mythology and her ending are, wow, unexpected and good.

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for the review Sophie! I've not heard of this book until now and you know how I love my wolf stories. lol

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  2. I think any self-labeled WolfGirl will enjoy the new spin Tammy places on werewolf mythology.

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  3. Sophie I can't believe I missed this review when it came out...but my life the last month has been a bit crazy. I liked Destiny Binds for lots of the same reasons. Really like Alex and Scout.

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  4. alybee - I completely understand being busy. I can't even look at my tipping TBR pile! Thank you for your sweet comment.

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