Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.
It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.
This review is a hard one to write because I really liked this book, I really did, but there were points that I started to lose interest and a few 'YA cliches' that I just struggled to take. This book itself fits pretty comfortably into the cliche YA romance mould. Immortal/dead guy with stalker-ish? Check. Clueless but tough girl? Check. Insta-luv? Kind of (I'll get into that later!). I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the YA mould, if it's done well (which for the most part, Inbetween was) the book can be really enjoyable, I'm just saying it seems like Fuller didn't try amazingly hard to be original.
Fuller does display some originality with her portrayals of Hell and Finn's humorous reaper friends (I particularly liked Easton). There wasn't even a love triangle (though one between Cash, Emma and Finn would have been hilarious after something that happens during the book), but the romance just annoyed me a little. So Emma's getting on with her life whilst Finn spies on her (to protect her), then he actually comes into her life and Emma falls straight in love, but that's okay right, because in her past life (or afterlife, whatever) they were lovers.
NO! It is not okay! Giving the characters a backstory does not mean that you can forget about relationship development and skip straight to the love, especially if one character doesn't remember said past life, NO! NO! Readers (like me) pick up YA paranormal romance books in order to watch the relationship developing and the obstacles in the way and quite frankly I am getting TIRED of the insta-luv.
Well, at least there isn't a love triangle, otherwise I would be in total *RAGE MODE* right now.
Okay, had to get that off my chest, sorry.
BUT! This book wasn't bad at all, in fact the romance is the only thing that really bothered me. I really enjoyed Fuller's writing, it was absolutely fantastic and managed to grip the reader, never once did I feel bored during this book, it was basically un-put-down-able. The ending was maybe too nice, especially after all of the confrontation throughout the book, but I guess I like a happy ending. The bad guy was awful and terrifying, not kidding - Maeve scared me to death!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but seriously, the insta-luv has got to end... please!
Overall Rating: B-
Book released August 28th 2012 by Entangled Publishing
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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