Supernova by C.L. Parker

A couple of days ago I reviewed C.L. Parker's book Cataclysm, which is actually the sequel to this book, Supernova. I was a part of the book tour so unfortunately my time ran out and I was unable to put up the review for Supernova up first. But I didn't want to just not review it, so here is the review, a few days late.

I really enjoy Parker's writing, she really does a great job of taking the reader along this journey with the main characters, and really lets the reader get to know the main players of the book. This book is book one in the series, so a lot of time is spent on really getting to know the characters and their respective back stories.

Kerrigan is a girl who it seems like for much of her life has let herself be pulled in whatever direction her father deemed correct, and unfortunately part of that lead to her dating a man named Jackson. You quickly learn this guy is bad news, creepy, and gross. Parker's description of this guys breath alone made me want to cringe. When Kerrigan's grandmother dies though, she finds the strength to stand up for herself and ditch the loser. She and her best gay friend Gabe move into her grandmother's house and essential start a new life.

Which brings us to Dominic, the man who has been living at Kerrigan's grandmother's house for over a year. As you get to know Dominic you find out what a tortured life he really has had. If anyone has ever gotten the short end of the stick for a long period of time, it's Dominic. That's not to say that he isn't a good guy, in fact as the story progresses Dominic turns out to be a great help to Kerrigan.

Most of this story is about Kerrigan finding out that her grandmother was much more than just a sweet old lady. In fact her grandmother had powers, powers from the Light, which she used for good. And even more shocking is that Kerrigan herself also has these same gifts. But now that her grandmother has passed, Kerrigan is left to learning her new gifts from Dominic.

That's not to say that the story is not inciting to read. Dominic has a BIG secret he is keeping from everyone, and there are quite a lot of close calls where he is almost revealed. On top of that Dominic also has a past with a crazy ex girlfriend that comes back around. Kerrigan, who doesn't seemingly have a lot of the problems in this book, is more like a catalyst, and helps the story along the way. And the chemistry between Dominic and Kerrigan is not to be missed, it is definitely interesting to follow these two along the way.

Overall this was a good read, if I had one bone to pick I would say it did lag a couple of times during the book, but it was never a huge lag or anything like that. I would say this is a book paranormal romance readers would like, as well as people who like urban fantasy. And it is a great lead in into the second book which I would also recommend.

Cataclysm by CL Parker

This book came to me as part of a book tour, which I love. Promoting authors new works is probably one of my favorite things to do. However, this is book 2 of the series, so I wanted to read the first book, Supernova, first. I would recommend the first book, because it's a fantastic read much like this book.

The first think I want to mention about Parker's writing is that it's super easy to read. You sit down with the book in hard, and your eyes just flow over the paper (or screen for my case). Before you even realize it you're sucked into the plot and the characters. It's almost like the writing is effortless, but still smart.

I must also say that I liked reading and experiencing life with these characters. And more over what I enjoyed was that these characters weren't stagnant. When you meet Kerrigan in the first book, she hadn't quite grown into herself yet, her life had mostly been controlled or guided one way or the other. Book one she really grows into herself as a character as well as becoming a Guardian of the Light. In book two she is able to really understand more about herself and abilities, so the reader is really able to follow along with her and her journey. The Kerrigan that Parker created is not just some girl riding the wave of a plot, but rather a character who has depth that just increases as the story goes on.

I'm fairly certain everyone who reads these books is going to be happy when they get to the romance department. And the one thing I appreciate about Parker, much like her character development is also her relationship development. She doesn't just have two characters suddenly like each other and jump into bed, it took time to build up Kerrigan and Dominic as characters and as people heading down a romance road. Although most of the build up is in Supernova, it still read as two people organically reaching the next part of the relationship. There is a lot more romance in this book than the previous, or rather it is more hot action in it compared to the first.

The one bone I have to pick with this book is that I missed Gabe. Gabe was one of my favorite characters in the first book, he reminded me of my best friend in high school. The guy who was unafraid to say anything that came into his head, and was assured of himself, as well as being a good friend to Kerrigan. I wish he had more of a role in this book.

Overall, I am going to say this is a good book, and a fun paranormal romance. This is definitely a read for people who like paranormal romance, and I think that most of us urban fantasy readers would like it as well.