REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

May 10, 2013 Julie Uncategorized 6

The Forgotten Ones

by Laura Howard

New Adult Paranormal Romance

DESCRIPTION

Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

REVIEW
First – a special thank you to Itching For book Blog Tours and Laura Howard for providing me with a copy of The Forgotten Ones for review.

What a sweet, yet heartbreaking story in the beginning. As mentioned in the description, Allison is a soon-to-be grad student who is residing with her grandparents and mother in her family home. Allison’s mother used to be happy and fine, but then she got pregnant with Allison and her whole life was turned upside down by schizophrenia.

Allison’s life revolves around goals. She has pretty solid ideas about which goals are worth pursuing and which ones are not. Ethan, brother of BFF’s boyfriend and long-time family friend, is not one of her goals, even though she secretly crushes on him. Allison goes out of her way to discourage him, but Ethan has other plans…

I loved the beginning with Ethan, he grabbed my attention immediately and I enjoyed the whole sweet romance part of the novel. But just as I was settling into the romance things switched focus. Allison’s father, missing her whole life and a man she never met, (but has in fact, dreamed about) shows up at her door.

Mix in some eerie voices that seems to be in her head (not a good thing for a child of a schizophrenic) and Allison’s life begins to twist so much, it will never be the same. What follows is a very intricate fantasy tale which revolves around the fae. I’ve never been a big fae reader so I’m not all that familiar with the lore, but I got the gist of it from reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels. The fae are hit and miss, that means they could be good, could be bad. Allison’s not really in a position to tell the difference when some begin lurking around her home. Then her mother goes missing and suddenly Allison is propelled on a journey to demystify her past and bring her lost mother home.

I loved the romance with Ethan, but it was brief. There are a few interesting characters in the fae world I also enjoyed. I did think the ending tied up rather quick and there is a cliffhanger, but only after most of the immediate conflicts have been solved. This was a quick, fun read that captured my attention and help it the entire time – a perfect summer read!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.