Strand of Faith by Rachel J Bonner @rararesources @RachelJBonner1

Synopsis:

When the choice is between love and life, how can anyone decide?

A girl and a monk, both with extraordinary mental powers, have compelling reasons not to fall in love.  But those from whom they expect support are manipulating them both because their choices will have consequences for the rest of the world.

After a stormy youth, Brother Prospero has found comfort and fulfilment in the monastery.  That is, until he discovers something that forces him to reconsider his whole vocation.  To follow his heart, he’ll have to face his demons again, outside the security of the monastery. Is it worth the risk?  Can he beat them this time? Or will they finally destroy him?

Orphaned and mistreated, Leonie has found sanctuary and safety at the abbey.  All she wants is to learn how to manage her unusual abilities so that she is not a danger to those around her.  When she comes into contact with Prospero everything threatens to spiral out of her control.  Whether she leaves or whether she stays, how can she possibly avoid destroying – yet again – those she has come to care about?

Abbot Gabriel is faced with an impossible choice.  He can do nothing and watch the world descend into war.  Or he can manipulate events and ensure peace – at the cost of two lives that he is responsible for.  He knows what he has to do but is he strong enough to sacrifice those he loves?

Amazon UK –  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strand-Faith-Choices-Consequences-Book-ebook/dp/B07GKZT8LF

https://www.books2read.com/strandoffaith

My Review:

This book frustrated me and delighted me in equal measure. It is set within a monastery, although there are snippets of the wider world. The impression I got was that humans have pretty much destroyed the world, as they begin to put it back together some people are being born with extra abilities, they are called ‘adepts’. As you can imagine a lot of characters in the story have these unique abilities.

Characters:

I really enjoyed the people the book revolved around. Each chapter was broken down into smaller sections told from the point of view of a different character. This meant you really got involved with them all, worked out what made they tick, how they all related and interacted with each other. I really enjoyed this and it flowed really well.

Obviously you see a lot of Prospero and Leoni. Prospero is a monk in the monastery, his battles with his feelings is really well written. The fact he has a calling to God has not been glossed over and his struggles with his feelings seem real. He’s an incredibly caring character and has great relationships with those he meets. Leoni is a really interesting character, she is full of grit and determination but at the same time has an incredibly vulnerable side. I love a character who has some much potential.

I had quite the soft spot for Lord Gabriel, he has the skill of precognition. The burdens he has to bare are quite incredible and effect the course the story takes. As with most of the characters he is incredibly genuine. It is a rare book where you find so many incredibly well written, well rounded characters.

Further thoughts:

I don’t want to say to much about the story as I don’t want to give spoilers but this is so much more than just a romance! It is full of intrigue and mystery, what is the bigger picture? You are constantly teased with snippets of information.

So why did the book frustrate me? For that very reason, everyone is keeping secrets and you only get a small insight into what that may be. I felt like I should have been able to work out what was going on and had to keep reminding myself this is a four part series. It will all hopefully all come together. I hit the end of the book with so many questions, I will be first in line to get a copy of the next book.

Rachel has taken the paranormal romance genre and turned it on his head. I cannot wait to see what is next for Leoni and Prospero. Many thanks to Rachel from Rachels random resources and Rachel for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Author Bio:

Rachel J Bonner is the author of the four book Choices and Consequences series, the first of which, Strand of Faith, is due out in November 2018.

Getting a degree in engineering, followed by a career in accountancy is probably not a conventional path to becoming an author, particularly in paranormal romance.  Rachel says that, although accountancy isn’t anything like as boring as everyone thinks, writing is a lot more fun.  When not writing, she can be found walking in the beautiful countryside near where she lives, which has influenced much of the scenery in her books, or shooting things with her local archery club.  Target shooting only, honest.  Nothing to worry about.

She also enjoys swimming, eating chocolate chip cookies and growing aromatic herbs, especially thyme and rosemary.  It’s no coincidence that her heroine likes the same things.

You can find out more about her books and sign up for Rachel’s newsletters at www.racheljbonner.co.uk.

https://twitter.com/RachelJBonner1

Giveaway!

Win a signed paperback copy of Strand of Faith, a set of bookmarks (3 styles plus a business card) featuring the cover art, and a canvas print (40cm by 30cm) of the original cover art. Open Internationally

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494159/?