THE TAKEN
by Donnette Smith
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GENRE: Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance
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BLURB:
All
Jenna Langley wanted was a chance to finally marry the man of her dreams. But
when the spirit of a dead girl shows up at her wedding that only she can see,
it becomes clear Jenna’s latest brush with death has caused the heightening of
her psychic abilities to reach an unfamiliar and frightening level. Her new
husband, Detective Cole Rainwater, vows to do whatever it takes to get to the
root of Jenna’s disturbing sightings. But before he can investigate this
mystery, his bride is taken right under his nose.
What
started as a romantic honeymoon has turned into a fight for Jenna’s life. And
the only path to freedom is through the help and guidance of a dead girl who
was once the victim of the sex traffickers that have stolen away with Jenna.
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Excerpt One:
“Who’s there?”
she demanded, taking measured steps toward the bathroom.
Dead silence.
As Jenna
stumbled into the bathroom, the hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end. A
presence lingered here. There was no doubt about it. A sudden chill bit into
her flesh; puffs of cold smoke billowed from Jenna’s mouth. She hugged her body
to fend off the cold, but the arctic environment was nothing compared to the
adrenaline that lit her up.
She scrutinized
all three bathroom stalls. All the doors were shut, but her psychic ability
drew her to the one in the center. Her hand shook like a leaf in a storm as she
lifted it up and placed it against the door. As she gave the door a shove, the
hinges creaked—ever so slightly. A flash of dread twisted her gut as the door
slowly drifted open.
The sight of an
ill-defined something, perched on the lid of the toilet, sent out an
ear-splitting scream.
Jenna back
pedaled, thudding against the cold, porcelain sink.
The shape took
form before her eyes. The edges became sharper, clearer—until the girl with
blood oozing from a hole in the center of her forehead shot to her feet like a
rocket, her dark eyes as big as saucers. “You can see me, can’t you?”
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Review: The last thing that Jenna expected to see right before her wedding was the ghost of a dead girl. Regardless, nothing was going to stop her from marrying Cole. So, they marry and fly off to their honeymoon.
At first, it took a while for the
story to settle with the characters. It all started with a feel-up in the limo
and a sexy wedding night. Although slow, the narrative was compelling and easy
to fall into. It gets better when the dead girl re-appears and asks for her
help.
After a quick visit to the police station, the couple return to their honeymoon with a yacht trip and a beach party. At times, we hit long lulls that slow down the story. But the action picks up when a sex trafficking scheme gets involved and Jenna gets kidnapped. Now, we’re getting somewhere. The whole time Jenna’s tied up, the dead girl kept re-appearing, telling her what happened to her. From this point forward, it becomes a fast-paced and suspenseful read. It gets you hooked like the heroin they injected into these girls. Will Cole find Jenna in time? Will Jenna get the info they wanted from the dead girl? Perhaps the ghost would be her strongest defense against these monsters.
This was a suspenseful tale practically all the way to the end. It kind of got a little too winded toward the end, but it was still an enjoyable read. You’ll be taken by THE TAKEN.
Rating: 4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Although not a native Texan, Donnette Smith has spent more than half her life living in the Lone Star State. She is an entrepreneur and former business owner of Tailor Maid Services LLC. After spending a few years working as a journalist for the Blue Ridge Tribune, she realized her love for writing romantic detective novels. Her stories cover a wide range of genres, from horror, time travel, mystery, fantasy, paranormal, and thriller. But one theme stays the same, there is always a detective solving a crime, and a gorgeous victim he would lay down his life to protect. Donnette’s biggest fascination is with forensic science and crime scene investigations. Her novels include, Cunja, a horror/mystery/suspense that debuted in 2012. Book 1 of The Spirit Walker Series, Killing Dreams, a fantasy/romance story with a paranormal element became available in September of 2021. Book 2 of The Spirit Walker Series, Buried Alive, was published on March 14, 2022. And her latest, book 3 of The Spirit Walkers Series, The Taken.
Links
www.facebook.com/authordonnettesmith/
www.twitter.com/Donnettetxgirl
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GIVEAWAY
The
author will award a golden book box with magnetic closures. Inside will be book
1 of The Spirit Walkers Series, Killing Dreams, and book 2, Buried Alive. One
of the books will be autographed. Also in the box will be a specialized
bookmarker, the Spirit Walkers Series coffee mug, Chai tea, and a scented,
therapeutic candle.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you so much for reviewing today. We appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know how much I truly appreciate the review.
ReplyDeleteThis book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lily. I hope you get an opportunity to check it out. This is the one book out of all my books that took me through an emotional roller coaster.
DeleteLooks like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry. I incorporated into The Taken much of what I'd learned about human trafficking during the time I was a journalist and covered a story on this subject. I wanted these two main characters to face something unthinkable in the final book of the Spirit Walkers series. It also gave me the chance to raise awareness on a dark, criminal organization that's not talked about enough.
DeleteThis sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kim. I loved that I got to share Jenna & Cole's harrowing ordeals with the world in all 3 books of the Spirit Walkers series. But just as equally, I'm glad I got to live their adventures while I wrote their stories.
DeleteThis should be a great novel.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michael. This third book of the Spirit Walkers series, The Taken, would have never existed had it not been for my editor convincing me the story of Jenna & Cole deserved to continue on. So, we settled on 3 books. And now that their stories have been told, I hate to say goodbye to the two characters that made their way into my heart over the last few years.
ReplyDelete