Immortal Eclipse

By: Sherry Soule

Narrated by: Courtney Parker

Inheriting a haunted house is one thing. Getting hot and bothered by its sexy caretaker is another. But Skylar Blackwell draws the line at voodoo and murder....

Skylar doesn't believe in things that go bump in the night. But after her uncle's body is discovered with a mosaic of eerie symbols carved into his chest, she moves to his spooky California estate to get logical answers.

Days after arriving, she's plagued by haunting nightmares and visits by a terrifying apparition that even she can't rationally explain away. Things get even more complicated when Skylar's investigation leads her straight into the arms of the drop-dead gorgeous, Dorian Delacroix.

With his dark good looks and brooding personality, Dorian is like a romance novel hero come to life, but he's also harboring a dark and dangerous secret.

One that may end up costing Skylar...her very soul.

©2014, 2017 Sherry Soule (P)2017 Sherry Soule

Meh

The story was interesting enough, but the characters were a bit cookie cutter for my taste. The main character was very unlikable imo. Still the book was well written. And I did like it. The narrator was the best thing about this book. Very well done.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Perfectly Serviceable Trope Laden Mystery-Romance

I tend to judge romance a bit harsher than other genres because I do read a lot of romances. I look for things in my romances that break the mold, that show me something new. While there was some really good writing in this story, it was more or less exactly what I expected, no more and no less.

The lead character, Skyler, is fine as a romance heroine. She's got a touch of Spunky Agency, but nothing that's too annoying. Other reviewers have mentioned her obsession with clothing, but I actually found that interesting after the character explained she drew strength from dressing her best and looking good. Not a fashion person myself, I thought that was a unique touch to give the character, and the clothing descriptions really aren't that annoying. She goes back and forth between staying and leaving, and that was fine too. She was just... fine. Average. Nothing that made me think her annoying, but nothing that really made me root for her either. The love interest, Dorian, was the same for me. The plot? Nothing new, but for a romance/mystery plot, it's done perfectly well.

As an aside, Skyler sort of forgets her ambition to be a photographer later (to get her job back) which I wasn't happy about. I don't know... if I lost my job and then inherited a mansion near San Francisco, I would have sold that sucker faster than your head could spin and, if my ambition were to be a photographer, spent that money working on my portfolio and making investments. Through the first third of the book I kept thinking this, and, perhaps, I put a little too much reality into my escapism! Knowing the land prices around the San Fran area though, it was really hard to shunt that aside, heh. I kept mentally screaming at her, "SELL IT FOR THE MILLIONS IT'S WORTH, omg!"

There's one bad point that did sour me on the book, which is why I just can't give it any higher than a three. The villain is oh so obvious from the beginning. There's an attempt to humanize him later, but as soon as he stepped on stage, you knew he was Evil McEvilson come Evil some Evils at you. I kind of checked out a little there.

On the other hand, some of the descriptions were exceptionally well written. There were turns of phrases that were quite beautiful, and the setting itself was moody and a character itself. The phrase "malignant nightfall" stuck with me, which perfectly encapsulated the mood in that segment so perfect I was like... damn.

The narration was really good and smooth. It was professionally done, of that there is no doubt, and the narrator really captured Skyler's voice, which in turn made the character more enjoyable for me. She had just enough spunky agency one moment, and just enough confusion another, and just enough heartache in another, and so on. Her other voices, especially the male ones, weren't as developed, but she did a wonderful job of bringing the lead to life.

I would definitely recommend this book for romance & gothic fans. The setting really is a character unto itself, and it's really ... yes, serviceable for a romance. There's nothing new, but there's not really anything bad either. It ends just how you think it would, and I know for some people, that's really important.

What does home truly mean to you?

What does home truly mean to you?

This is a standalone title, with some romance, a haunting, and a whole lot of mystery.
The steam factor is low for those more conservative types out there.

♥ Story ♥
It’s an interesting story with a HEA, but boy was I exhausted when I got there. The haunting is deeper and more twisted than anyone expects. If you like mystery, the paranormal, and twisted fairy tales, this is right up your alley.

Skylar Blackwell is the heroine of the story, and she really does have a shoe problem. Really! She is a photographer by trade, that combines her shoe fetish into what she thinks is her dream career. The paranormal world though has other plans, despite her efforts to avoid it.

Before she knows it, Skylar ends up at the creepy haunted mansion left to her by her paranormal hunting uncle. There she meets the hunky Dorian Delacroix and everything goes to hell in a hand-basket. She tries to be a strong skeptic, but in her efforts to not be like her family, and not to fall in love with Dorian, she tends to miss stuff.

There is great efforts put into the details of this story and the writing was very emotionally charged. There is non-stop action and turmoil at every turn. Seriously, I was drained by the end.

I feel like it could have been shorter and made more of an impact, because at over 11 hours, that is half a day of strife. Perhaps an epilogue or something of the like that had some more happy times to soothe the soul at the end. You will need something fluffier and lighter to cushion your heart after this.

♥ Author ♥
This is my first read/listen by Sherry Soule and her writing has great potential. I loved the world and character building and want to check out her other works. She currently has 3 titles on her Audible profile.

♥ Narrator(s) ♥
Courtney Parker had her work cut out for her, because there were many characters, of various ages and genders, as well as states of being. She does well at portraying the emotions the characters are feeling. I would definitely listen to her other performances.

Ebook obtained through Kindle Unlimited
Audiobook obtained for free at my request and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review
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Fantastic!!!!

I loved this paranormal romance! The heroine of this book, Skyler, was awesome! I love that this author wrote a heroine that loves fashion and shoes but is brave, intelligent and strong. I love the mystery, the suspense and the creepy factor. Perfect narration and a fantastic story!

**Audio book provided in exchange for an honest review**

Immortal Eclipse

Overall an entertaining and enjoyable book. It's listed as a paranormal romance but for me it leans more toward YA paranormal mystery with a touch of romance.

The story itself is interesting and keeps you guessing. Even though some things are predictable it's written in a way that you are never quite sure from minute to minute what is going on and you are constantly on the edge of your seat not knowing exactly what is going to happen next. The story itself is really good with plenty of mystery, suspense and intrigue as well as twists that keep coming one after another.

Unfortunately even though it's a really good story the main character just wasn't that likable for me and it affected my overall enjoyment of the story. It's hard to really be pulled into a story when you don't like the main character. Skyler is self centered, annoying and immature. She also comes across as shallow with her constant name brand dropping. Your clothes, shoes, nail polish don't make you any smarter or likable. I'm guessing it was meant as a quirky personality trait but it just didn't work. All the other characters were great.

Courtney Parker did a good job with the narration. Something about the narration was just off for me. Her voice sounds so young I kept thinking she was a teenager. For me she wasn't the right narrator for the story. On the good side she has a pleasant voice that is easy to listen to for long periods of time. She has some really good character voices. Both male and female. She actually brought the characters to life with the different character voices, accents and tones. The pacing of the narration was good. Not to slow or too fast.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.

An interesting story with great elements......

Immortal Eclipse was an interesting story with great promises but I was not the biggest fan of Skylar. She was almost an oxymoron. She went to California to the estate she inherited from her Uncle in order to have some chill time and get to the bottom of her Uncle’s death. She felt that there were things that didn’t add up and she wanted to really understand what happened with her Uncle.

When she finally gets to Summerwind estate, and the getting there was not the easiest trip, she finds that it was not what she was expecting. There was something hokey with almost every employee there. Whispers of paranormal activity that Skylar adamantly did not believe it. Except that she had a necklace that she wore that would go from warm to cold before a paranormal event. There were also her “gut instincts” that she would “go with” but no, there could not be any such paranormal activity happening to her or around her, ever, because there was just no such thing.

Skylar’s character kept changing her mind about staying at the estate versus going many, many, many times. Her character was written as a twenty-five year old woman but I felt like she would have been better cast between the ages of sixteen to eighteen. She did have some character development by the end of the story that made her okay in my book but her being the main character did not move the story along for me.

What I did love was everything else. This story had a great mystery that had past-present flashbacks. The mansion itself was almost its own character and it was creepy! The paranormal aspect of this story was most creepy and enjoyable. There is plenty of suspense that is built up throughout the mystery that is developed. I could clearly see the story as it was meant to unfurl and I completely loved that aspect of it. There is a little bit of romance in this story but it takes a back seat to the mystery and paranormal elements, which is nice. Overall, Immortal Eclipse was an entertaining read that gave me a great creepy feeling that kept me just having to know what was going to happen next.

This review is based on a complimentary audiobook I received from Narrator, Courtney Parker. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.

Loved it!

Great listen! Paranormal romance with classic gothic feel. Plenty of mystery and romance. I loved Dorian and Skylar. The narrator is fantastic! I received a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Fancy Pants in a Haunted Mansion

Any additional comments?

Skylar, shoe and clothes obsessed, inherits a big spooky mansion with a big hunky overseer. The story is slow to start and there are times when I want to smack Skylar for being so dumb, but the story does pick up with twists and turns and of course bumps in the night. The story does get quite spooky at times and there is a lot of mystery involving the mansion.
I think Courtney Parker's voice matched what I pictured Skylar sounding like in my head.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review with my honest opinion."

Decent Paranormal Mystery

I have tendency to stay away from romance stories which I dislike but a sucker for ghost/supernatural books. I totally enjoyed the characters good and evil especially Skylar a photographer who loves shoes and clothes and is sassy. She inherits mansion from her uncle and really wants to find out who killed her uncle as well as others when there are strange occurs and romance. It is a fun, creepy with ghosts and other supernatural listen. Recommend to anyone who enjoys paranormal with some romance. I was given this free review copy audiobook and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you

Immortal Eclipse

I enjoyed this book. In my opinion it was heavier on paranormal mystery aspect than on romance but I still enjoyed both. There is alot going on in this book, but it does have a HEA. I was given this free review copy and have voluntarily left this review.