Embrace, by Cherie Colyer

Title: Embrace
Author: Cherie Colyer
Publisher: Omnific
Release: December 20, 2011
Source: Blog Tour
Purchase: (RJ Julia | Omnific)

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve. Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him. Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own. Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.

Embrace took me by surprise. I had absolutely no clue what it was about when I started to read it, but I got a pleasant surprise once I discovered what was inside. Soon after I started, I was hooked and found myself completely enjoying Embrace, and feeling satisfied when it was over.

Mystery, magic, and romance all intertwine in Embrace, and those aspects and more made it a great reading experience. I really enjoyed the mythology Cherie Colyer has created, and I was satisfied by how much was explained. When it comes to books about witches or magic, I am very picky about how much the magic itself is explained, and I had no problem with it in Embrace.

Cherie Coyler has a nice writing style, nothing that really stood out to me, though. Her writing fits in with many other styles of young adult paranormal writers, which didn’t bother me at all. I would certainly be interested in reading more from her, especially if she decided to continue the story of the characters from Embrace.

Madison was a fine character. Again, she doesn’t really stand apart for me, but while I was reading, I found myself liking her and wanting only good things to happen to her, and being upset myself when bad things did happen. Isaac, the love interest, however, wasn’t one of my favorite people. He creeped me out, and I didn’t really trust him until almost the end of the book. The other characters, though not very dimensional, were developed and relatable.

Though it is not a book that stands out to me, or one that I am likely to remember for long, I enjoyed Embrace while I was reading it and would most definitely be interested in reading more from Colyer.