Review: Fall From Grace by Christine Zolendz

AMAZON | KINDLE

Fall From Grace (Mad World #1) by Christine Zolendz
Paranormal
DarkRoadDesigns (July 22, 2012)

Rating: C-
Heat: Sweet

Heroine: Grace – Reincarnate, Judgmental
Hero: Shane – Rock Star, Slutty

 


 

 

Review:

Slutty rock star hero set in a paranormal world full of nephilim and angels? There was no question that I wanted to read this book. That and I love the song “Mad World” by Gary Jules. It’s such a beautiful, haunting song and I was hoping this story would be befitting of using it for a series title. Unfortunately, me and this book had too many issues between us.

Grace is destined to loose everyone she becomes close to. She has to watch as the people she loves die, most recently her brother who she was living with while he was in hospice. Now that he is free from all his pain, Grace can return to the life she was living in NYC. Which is where she meets Shane. Shane is best friend to Grace's best friend Lea's boyfriend. He’s also singer and guitarist in the band Mad World and, yes, is a bit of a manwhore. Shane only does one night stands… but he can't help but be drawn to Grace. She makes him feel things he hasn’t felt in a long, long time.

And Shane definitely makes Grace feel things too. Things all hot and tingly and definitely nothing she wants to feel. Because Grace is looking for her someone and Shane can't be him. Which leads me to my biggest gripe about this book and Grace in particular: Grace treats Shane horribly. Calls him names, puts him down, leads him on only to shut him down. For the entire book. She gives every other jerky guy in her vicinity a chance (seriously, they are extreme a-holes), but not sweet and obviously damaged Shane. It had me grinding my teeth together how utterly clueless she is. The reader knows from the beginning and yet Grace can’t seem to figure it out.

"Please, Grace, whatever it is you're going after, please try and find it here with me. I will try my best to be the man that you need me to be." – Shane

The man says things like that to her and still all she can see is a slutty flirt not worth her time? REALLY?

Another negative: it felt like not much happens throughout. Grace and the gang go to the local bar, the band plays, Shane flirts, Grace gets annoyed. Next day, Shane and Grace hangout and run together. Repeat. With so much potential in this paranormal world of reincarnated souls, fallen angels, and lost loves... I expected more drama and intrigue. Maybe it happens in the next book, but it definitely does not in this one.

I also found it hard to look past the numerous semicolons in nearly every sentence (they do become fewer towards the end), as well as oddly placed commas. Even though the words making up the sentences were great, it was distracting having the sentence structure jumbled up. Even though it was distracting, it doesn’t factor into my rating.

Fall From Grace is full of potential. Vast and aweing potential. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with Grace and majority of the story fell flat. I’m not sure that even the horrible cliffhanger ending can ensure I continue this series. Grace would need a major personality makeover.

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