Embrace [Hardcover]

Jessica Shirvington (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 6, 2012 | Series: Embrace

It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are..."

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.

LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori—part human, part angel—and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles. 

PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.

Two sides: Angel or Exile.
Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.
The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

"In her YA paranormal romance debut, Jessica Shirvington combines "the badass-action of Vampire Academy, the complex love triangles of Twilight, and the angel mythology of Fallen, taken one step further." —Book Couture

"Shirvington's debut is smart, edgy and addictive—and sure to leave readers clamoring for the rest of the series."— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED

"One of the best YA novels we've seen in a while. Get ready for a confident, kick-butt, well-defined heroine." — RT Book Reviews

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-The first book (Sourcebooks Fire, 2012) in a paranormal romance series by Jessica Shirvington is sure to be popular among Twilight fans. This volume focuses more on love interests than the battles between good and evil that will follow in subsequent books. The big question for Violet is who to trust. She has a huge crush on Lincoln, her self-defense instructor, who holds her at arm's length. There are lots of conversations between Violet and her best friend, Steph, about how to get a guy to reveal his feelings. Narrator Rebecca Macauley conveys Violet's uncertainty and innocence as well as Steph's confidence. Her Australian accent adds to the charm of Violet's first person narration, often a confessional of confusion about emotions and intentions (her own and others). Life gets more complicated with the arrival of Phoenix. Violet is drawn to him and he seems to be able to read and control her feelings. When they witness a brutal murder, their bond becomes stronger, but that doesn't alleviate Violet's uncertainty. Then she discovers that she is a Gregori, half angel and half human, and meant only to be Lincoln's mission partner. Phoenix is an exile, part of a group of angels that have the potential to be lethal predators, and sworn enemies of Gregori. There's lots of passion here, especially between Violet and her love interests, Listeners will be torn between whom to root for.-Edie Ching, University of Maryland, College Parkα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

"Shirvington's debut is smart, edgy and addictive-and sure to leave readers clamoring for the rest of the series... The story is rife with action and romance. A must-read for paranormal fans young and old." - Kirkus

"One of the best YA novels we've seen in a while. Get ready for a confident, kick-butt, well-defined heroine... This title will have a place on my keeper bookshelf for years to come!" - RT Book Reviews

"The angel mythology's in-depth description adds complexity to the novel . . . Fans of romantic fantasy with a paranormal twist will find Violet and her adventures captivating." - VOYA Magazine

"This is definitely one of my favorite young adult paranormal fiction novels . . . I'm dying to read the next two books in the series." - There's a Book

"This is going to knock your socks off and you'll be begging for more, I promise!" - There's a Book

"Embrace has been one of my favorite reads this year. ...We loved it so much Stacey has never read a book so fast - I am usually the fast reader, she finished this book before I did. It's that good. The lead Violet is a strong female character who like most teens struggles with choices although some of hers are the supernatural kind. I could go on and on but I will save the gushing for our review." - Page Turner

""A delicious romantic triangle." - USA Today" - USA Today

"I loved how strong [Violet] was...she was intelligent, clever, and focused.- Anastasia " - Bookish

""Definitely a must read!!"- Blogger Tammy, Mel's Book Blog " - Mel's Book Blog

""...an enjoyable read and can't wait to find out... what happens with Violet, Phoenix and Lincoln in the next book"- Blogger Esther, Fictional Fantasy " - Fictional Fantasy

""...pleasantly surprised."- Blogger Rebekah, Reading and Living on the Good Side of Life" - Reading and Living on the Good Side of Life

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire; 1 edition (March 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402268408
• ISBN-13: 978-1402268403
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (146 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands down the hottest angel book EVER! March 6, 2012

By Evie Seo (Bookish blog)

Format:Hardcover

Wildly compelling, sexy and taut, Embrace by Jessica Shirvington offers a hot new take on angels! This fabulously written page-turner explores destiny, betrayal, love, trust, and free will. It's a delicious treat for everyone who enjoys fast-paced and totally engaging stories, filled with gorgeous characters, shivery sexual tension, heart-stopping plot twists, and richly developed mythology. This isn't yet another mediocre angel story, this is the real deal - an angel story to die for!

Violet's seventeenth birthday is approaching and she is not happy about it. In fact, she doesn't like celebrating her birthday at all, as it also marks the anniversary of her mother's death. Raised by a workaholic father, Violet seems to be just a typical teenage girl - with friends, hopes and dreams, and plans for the future. Well, maybe she's a little bit more talented than other kids her age - she can draw and paint like an artist. And OK, she's also quite athletic - ever since she met Lincoln, she's been exercising regularly: running, wall climbing, even practicing martial arts! And, well, there's no denying the fact that she's also quite a beauty.

Strange things have been happening to Violet recently. She's determined to find some answers, but who can provide them? Everything gets even more complicated when she learns that her long time crush (Linc) has been keeping secrets from her, too. Nothing seems to be the same anymore, her life is turned up side down. Having discovered who she really is, Violet is now facing some very difficult decisions. She can either take the final journey to becoming a full-blown Grigori (it's called embrace) or she can choose to remain human. Whatever she'll decide, there will be consequences, and nothing will ever be the same again....

Jessica Shirvington managed to do this one thing that many before her have tried and failed - she made angels sexy! With her excellent writing style, she created a beautiful, emotionally engaging, and entirely captivating story. I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It's gripping and intense. Lush. Steamy. Taut. Action-packed and entertaining. The tension never lets up, the characters are well-drawn, likable, easy to connect with. There's a fabulous chemistry between them. I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but this one worked so well! I won't even try to deny it - I LOVE PHOENIX!!! Mysterious, cocky, powerful, arrogant, passionate, H-O-T, Phoenix knows exactly what he wants and he will stop at nothing to get it. In terms of character development, Embrace is absolutely phenomenal. At least when it comes to male love interests. Violet is a whole different story - some will like her, some will not. Although you might find her just a tiny bit annoying at first, she will probably grow on you as you read farther into the book. Not exactly what you'd call a "match made in heaven", but give her a chance. For the most part I wasn't very fond of Vi, but as long as she doesn't go Calla on me, I am willing to tolerate her for Linc and Phoenix.

The plot line blew me away. There's no denying that. I'm fairly confident that this is one of the best - if not THE best - angel book out there. Jessica Shirvington's take on angels is not only original and well thought-out, but also very well balanced, believable and charming, without being cheesy or preachy at the same time. Let's face it - it's hard to talk about angels without mentioning God, Heaven and Hell, and other Christian mythology-related issues. And yet she managed to avoid digging deeper into the heavy stuff. She focused on Grigori and angels, and it turned out fabulous. As much as I loved the world building and all the 3D characters, I appreciated Shirvington's skillful and enjoyable storytelling the most. Her plotting was smart, elaborate and often full of surprises. I found myself totally invested in the story and eager to find out what will happen next. It's a dynamic and powerful read, destined to become a bestseller. Highly recommended! Read more ›

42 of 53 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Unimpressed March 4, 2012

By L. Michel VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

There have been some great entries into the YA fantasy world lately with angel lore, and after reading many positive reviews for this one, I thought I'd give it a shot. (It also didn't hurt that the cover is so gorgeous.)

Within the first 50 pages, I was pretty certain I wasn't a fan of this story. By the end, I actively despised it. Why? Let's start with the narrator, Violet. We've all heard this story before--teenage girl discovers she has some great, world-altering destiny, and life as she knows it is over. I agree that there needs to be some sort of adjustment period, because for anyone, that would be hard to swallow. But Violet Eden (yes, that's really her name) wins the prize for the whiniest, brattiest protagonist in the genre, in my opinion. The whole book is a constant stream of her angsting over everything, and being annoyed at everyone.

There's also her relationships with other characters. Her best friend acts ditzy at best (although she's apparently smart when no one else is around...?), and her main function in the story seems to be showing just how absolutely gorgeous Violet is and cooing over the guys in her life. At one point early on, the friend is saying how jealous she is of Violet's body, and Violet thinks about how she'd rather emphasize her beautiful face instead. Basically the only interactions between these two outside of the 'omg-you're-so-hot-Violet' scenarios are bizarre phone conversations to, I guess, keep the friend from fading into the background of the story. When Violet finally tells her the big secret no one else is supposed to know, it's in a *mall foodcourt*. Because nothing can be overheard there, obviously.... A lot of these q&a scenes between Violet and some other characters occur around food, which makes me wonder if the author was hungry while writing them.

And then there are the guys, Lincoln and Phoenix. Honestly, I disliked them both, but Phoenix hands down is one of the creepiest, most obsessive love interests I've ever had the displeasure to read about. He manipulates, stalks, and is borderline controlling throughout the book. And yet, somehow, Violet thinks he's the safe option. I won't get into spoilers, but there is one scene between the two of them that made her characterization completely unbelievable and made me dislike her even more--she violates the one thing she said in the beginning of the story she was all about. Not okay. Lincoln has some serious anger and possession issues too, but at least he maintains some semi-normal qualities. And hey, at least he's less annoying than Violet.

Now, I know this is the first of a series, and that there needs to be a lot of setup and worldbuilding, but another main problem I had with this book is that nothing really happens. If I had to sum up the main events, it would be: Violet uncovers destiny, Violet asks questions, Violet is pissed, Violet asks more questions--and maybe does one or two things towards the end. But the "action", if you want to call it that, is paced very oddly, which could be because of the simplistic writing style. None of the tension holds--for example, there's a scene in which one of the main characters is in seeming mortal peril, and the bad guys are standing over him; Violet arrives, and said bad guys agree to leave if she'll listen to a story. No fight to the death, no mental battle of wills, just...a story.

My advice: there are a lot of good entries into the YA fantasy genre lately. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one. Read more ›

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Flat, uninspiring and really has nothing to recommend for it (D Grade) July 19, 2012

By Katie Babs VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Embrace, the first book in Jessica Shirvington's Violet Eden Chapter series has to be one of the most boring young adult novels I've read, or to clarify, tried reading. I got half way through and gave up, so this is a typical DNF review.

The heroine, Violet Eden has just turned seventeen. Her father is distant and uninterested for the most part in his daughter's life (which is yet another convenient plot device found all too often in YA's of this nature to allow the main character to run free without any adult supervision). Violet's father is still mourning the loss of his beloved wife. She died giving birth to Violet. So already, Violet has issues and is pretty emo even though for the most part her life isn't lacking, other than no mother and an emotionally distant dad. But Violet is surviving the best she can without dad's TLC because she had her best bud, Steph and older hottie, Lincoln who understands her so well, or so she thinks. She spends a great deal of time with Lincoln, and her feelings for him have grown. But poor Violet is still a child in Lincoln's eyes, or so she believes because he's an older man and would never be attracted to her that way because she's not legal. If only she knew why Lincoln is such close friends with her and looks out for her. When she finds out the real reason why, she's extremely hurt and upset. But Lincoln had to be deceitful! But on the positive side he's her partner in crime. Lincoln and Violet must work for a higher power and combat evil and all that jazz, even thought Violet has no say in the matter.

Violet is a Grigori, a part angel, part human creature, and now that she's seventeen, she has come into her Grigori powers and must stop the evil fallen angels doing horrible things on Earth.... Violet can't ignore what she is because she's a beacon to these evil angels, much like a night light or the good old bat signal Gotham uses to reach Batman. Through pages and pages of info dumping, we learn why Violet is a Grigori and how she must train in the art of angel judo whatnot so she's not killed. But since Lincoln lied and was false to her, she's not down with this and stomps away, practically bumping into semi-stalker tween bad boy Phoenix who makes Violet all tingly and who is one excellent kisser. Phoenix's powers must be in his lips.

By the time Phoenix and Violet team up and a young girl, who's a flyaway characters to get things moving along is killed brutally by some rabid evil angel, I shut the book, not caring what happens to Violet and whether or not she and Phoenix go past first base and if she'll forgive Lincoln or finally channel Uma Thurman from Kill Bill and kick some fallen angel booty. Embrace was unbelievably blah and had no real originality or dimension to it.

Even when Violet tells Lincoln of some horrible abuse she suffers at the hands of her teacher before she met him, I felt it was tacked on to give the reader some emotional response to Violet and her plight. It's ridiculous and brings nothing to the story other than a sly way to tug on the readers' heartstrings.

Embrace is another example of what publishers think the reading public wants and gifts the author a big 6 figure deal in the hopes it will make waves in the reading community. Embrace is flat, uninspiring and really has nothing to recommend for it. A big pass on this one.

Katiebabs Read more ›