THE FOREVER GIRL (an Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance Novel of the Occult) (Forever Girl Series #1) [Kindle Edition]

Great novel, well written and fast paced. Really enjoyed it. Especially liked the main character Sophia. I look forward to the next in series.

The Forever Girl centres on a sassy girl called Sophia, who is a Wiccan struggling with life and looking for answers. This is a paranormal romance/mystery and I really enjoyed it, although it can get quite complicated to follow at times. It has strong characters and an epic storyline that kept me guessing till the end. It is well edited and the writing flows well too, which is always a plus in my book.

The story is True Blood meets elements of The Crucible (I love both) so it was right up my street, but may not appealing to everyone.

I look forward to reading the next instalment in this promising series.

Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review

I've just seen a Tweet from Rebecca, quoting Harper Collins's comments about this book: "At times the writing is genuinely brilliant."

Mean ba???rds!

At times, the writing is far above averagely brilliant, and at others, higher. This is what sets Rebecca Hamilton apart from other authors of so-called urban fantasy. There are only so many ways that vampires, wiccans and shape-shifters can be portrayed, and in the end it comes down to the author's style as to whether or not it's a worthwhile read. In Rebecca's case, is certainly is.

This book is a joy from the opening line. If Rebecca Hamilton re-wrote the Yellow pages, she'd make it a great read.

This eerie story captured my interest on the first few pages with it's mysterious characters and dark atmosphere. Sophia is a local outcast after events in her life leave people judging her and trying to push her away. She does have a few good friends however, and it's through one of these friends that she meets Charles. Charles is a dreamy character, I sense he's a bit of a bad boy but also a sensitive guy who is loyal and protective, he certainly has a mysterious air about him.

I loved reading about the first time Sophia and Charles met, it felt so tense and romantic - a real love at first sight moment. Their relationship throughout the story is filled with desire but the secrets they both hold threaten to keep them apart. Sophia finds herself embroiled in a dangerous new world that is full of supernatural beings and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering all about this world alongside her.

This story is refreshingly different to other supernatural books I have read and although there were times that I felt a bit confused about what was happening, once I read further I discovered the answers to my questions. I loved the many twists and turns and scary moments that really got my heart pounding, there were also some shocking revelations in the story that had me gasping out loud but I won't give any secrets away, you'll have to find out for yourself!

The ending made me smile but knowing that this is the first in the series I have an idea that there will be many more obstacles for Sophia to overcome in the future.

This really is a gripping story, it feels dark and enticing and I loved every minute of it. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

There is a multitude of Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy books out there and they can become very samey. So when an author manages to bring a new element to the genre then my interest is awaked. This is what Rebecca Hamilton has done with The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand it is well written and I liked the characters of Sophia and Charles. The pace of the story sometimes lagged with too much detail in areas that don't matter greatly to the plot, but overall the book managed to carry me from one page to the next. Where this book excelled was the world creation. Rebecca managed to breathe new life into the over used vampire mythology. I found her spin on the world of vampires, were-creature and spirits to be refreshing and intriguing. Just this aspect of the book alone makes it worth reading. I am always drawn to books that re-imagine the old familiar concepts and well worn plot hooks. The origins of supernatural beings and how they came to be in the world of man was totally new to me and one I have not come across in other stories.

Sophia, the main protagonist, is a likable character who falls into a world of the supernatural only to find that she herself isn't as normal as she first thought. The use of Wicca is well portrayed here, Sophia cast spells and uses magic but none of it instantly moulds the world around her to her will. There is no waving of the hand and chanting that suddenly alters the laws of physics. The use of magic is more supple than that which made it more believable. It was nice to come across a female character that doesn't arm herself to the teeth and walk around slaying every vampire or monster that gets in her way....

On the other hand there are a few down sides to this book that subtracted from the overall feel good factor. The relationship between Sophia and Charles, the obligatory love interest, seems to jump from mutual distrust to mad passionate love too quick with little to explain the sudden jump, apart from the pure physical animal attraction. The story of their growing romance, although important to the overall plot, did sometimes overwhelm the narrative. It seemed to bog the storyline down too much. But then again I believe that this would be less of an issue for readers more heavily into romantic novels. Maybe an aspect more aimed at a female readership.

There were also a few plot hooks that just dead ended. One example of this was finding out that one of the characters was possessed by spirits and this was the reason for their aggressive actions. Why were they possessed? Who were the spirits? What were their motivations? None of this was adequately explained. In fact the characters seemed to just brush this revelation off as inconsequential.

Even with these criticisms, which may have more to do with personal taste than quality of the story, I still enjoyed reading this book. It was well written with interesting plotlines and characters. The few issues I had would be easily remedied by a good editor and then you'd see a good book move to the realm of an excellent book.

I can see Rebecca Hamilton's books getting better with more experience. She is defiantly an author to watch and The Forever Girl is a good starting point.

3.5 Stars

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Written from a first person view Forever Girl is a smooth and well written from the moment you read the first few sentences. It is a paranormal book with touches of buffy the vampire slayer and Angel even though which is meant as a compliment. The storyline is gripping and draws you in very quickly. The book has splashes of horror and the odd spine tingling moment as various events unfold The story an urban fantasy is based around Sophia Parsons a waitress and Charles, with romance blossoming that have to contend with a plethora of paranormal activity and their experiences is what draws them closer together as Sophia delves into her ancestors past. A gripping read with strong characters that you get to know very well. Recommended not only for being a good book but very good value for the quality and length of the book.