Title: Defining Destiny
Author: Deanna Chase
Release Date: February 16, 2014
Pages: 300
Goodreads Rating: 4.18 Stars
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
My Content Rating: NA (Explicit sex)
Summary from Goodreads: When destiny fails…
Singer-songwriter Lucy Moore thought her life was perfect. At just twenty-one, she’s already met her soul mate and together they’ve landed a recording contract. But when her father dies and the love of her life betrays her in more ways than one, she returns home to pick up the pieces. On the shores of Mendocino, California, Lucy has some decisions to make. Should she start a solo career? Or should she leave it all behind for some semblance of normalcy in the quiet town she grew up in? And what about Seth, the tortured artist who always seems to be there when she needs him?
Seth Keenan has demons of his own. Eighteen months ago, he was involved in a horrific accident that he never talks about. His career as an accomplished oil-paint artist has been abandoned, replaced by the buzz of his tattoo gun. And women—well, he never sticks around for longer than a few hours of pleasure… until he meets Lucy. After one evening of listening to her seductive voice, he’s pulled under. But what about the vow he made to never get close to anyone again?
In a world where everyone has one true soul mate, can these two find love in the arms of each other?
Defining Destiny is almost a contemporary romance - but there's a paranormal twist. See, in this world each and every person has a true soul mate. Someone who completes them and shares a gift with them. Lucy and her soul mate make beautiful music together - so beautiful that it literally touches people's souls and brings them a sense of euphoria. There's just one problem - Lucy's soul mate is a jerk.
The negatives:
- Insta-love (or at least something more than lust). Okay - this is a book about soul mates, so you kind of have to assume that love comes easily in this world - except the whole point of the book is that Lucy and Seth are not soul mates. So, I was a bit frustrated that they fell for each other so quickly. Why did Seth instantly feel a connection to Lucy that went beyond anything he'd felt for anyone since his soul mate died? And even though Lucy and Seth didn't exactly fall in love immediately, I wish Chase hadn't made their connection quite so instantaneous - it would have made her whole "actual love vs. soul mate" angle a little stronger.
What I loved:
- Unique and interesting concept. So, we've all read books about soul mates. But this one was definitely different! I loved the concept. So, in this world everyone has a soul mate - but, here's the thing - just because someone's your soul mate doesn't make them good for you. What happens if your soul mate, the person that you are deeply connected to and pretty much forced to love, is actually a complete jerk? What if he's a liar, or a cheater, or a drunk, or ... the list could go on and on ... ? Or what if your soul mate dies? What if you don't meet your soul mate right away? Is there any sense in dating someone who isn't your soul mate? What if you fall for them and then they meet "the one"? All of these questions fascinated me. Lucy's relationship with her ex actually kind of mirrored anyone in a bad relationship who can't seem to get out - love can't always fix everything. And sometimes people are tempted to stay with someone who's bad for them because they love that person and hope they can change them. Imagine that compounded by the fact that you know this person is meant for you - at least on some level. I totally felt for Lucy!
- Seth and Lucy. Despite the fact that Seth and Lucy were connected to each other too quickly as far as I was concerned, they were still amazing together. I loved that Lucy made the sexy love-em-and-leave-em Seth come apart at the seams - his vulnerability with her made him that much more swoony! Neither Seth nor Lucy was looking for a relationship, but their connection was pretty much undeniable. The whole book, I was never quite sure where their relationship was headed - I knew I loved them together, but there was never any guarantee that they were going to stay that way because of the whole "soul mate" connection thing. They both had some pretty major hurdles to overcome in order to be together. Oh, and the chemistry between these two was off the charts! :-)
If you appreciate a good NA contemporary romance with a paranormal twist, then Defining Destiny is a fantastic choice!! I give this book 4/5 stars.
About the Author
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Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country. For more information and updates on newest releases visit her blog at www.deannachase.com.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
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