Customer Reviews

Last Breath (The Rayne Tour, Book 2)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With his last breath, the man who had attacked Shaley O'Connor in the previous book, Always Watching, left her with a scary yet tantalizing comment: "Your father sent me." For this rock star's daughter who has never known anything about her father, these words send her into a tailspin on top of the chaos that has already plagued her in the past few days. But before she can share this information, her mother Rayne is injured and Shaley must focus on her healing. It is while Rayne is confined to her hospital bed that Shaley is finally, finally able to hear the story of her father and why she's never known him. But how can she come to terms with everything while there is a fiendish member of the paparazzi following her every move?

Last Breath picks up almost immediately after Always Watching, with Shaley's world taking a major shift after the recent murders on tour and her mother's injuries. The story shifts between Shaley in the present and her mother's story set in 1991-1992. Both points of view are equally enthralling, and Shaley comes to understand why her mother has kept the story from her for so long.

Last Breath is a short novel but a page turner. Shaley is entirely believable as a young woman desperate to know her own story, even if she is a bit headstrong in thinking she can take on anyone. There is a religious bent to the novel, but it is definitely woven well into the story and doesn't pull you out of the storyline itself. My only problem was the actual story of Rayne's past; it seemed to set the father up as a bit of a hero, which made me feel as though the author was trying to make him too sympathetic. But as the story progressed, I could see that in fact the author had plans for him that would take time to mature, so I can forgive that one minor fault. Last Breath is a good mystery that should capture anyone who enjoys watching the past revealed one layer at a time.

As much as I respect these authors, this book didn't draw me in. I seem to have become too cynical in fiction reading these days. Maybe it is the writer in me that is watchful of sentences I can guess what happens next. With that said, I want to support Christian authors whether their work appeals to me personally or not.

Shaley O'Connor has always longed for the father she never knew. Being the teenage daughter of a rock star certainly has its perks, but Shaley would gladly trade all the glamour and spotlight for a chance to meet her dad. However, two of her friends have recently been murdered and it seems like her father may be behind it all. Shaley and her mom, Rayne, delve into the past looking for answers unaware that someone is coming for them both.

Last Breath takes up right where Always Watching left off and immediately we're pulled in by the tight suspense and mystery surrounding Shaley. We're treated to a great storytelling device this time around that gives us a glimpse into the past and propels the story ahead. The suspense and mystery elements are strong throughout and Shaley's spiritual journey never seems forced or manufactured. Rather the questions and doubts come across as a natural reaction to the fear and turmoil she is facing.

Brandilyn and Amberly Collins continue to shine in a young adult market that so desperately needs quality stories laced with positive messages. Though geared towards teen girls, this series can be picked up and enjoyed by anyone who loves great suspense. Give the Rayne Tour a try and see for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

Still reeling from the murder spree in the first book in The Rayne Tour Series Always Watching and from the killer's last words to her, "Your father sent me," (The long lost father she's yearned to find out about for so long sent a killer after her? Impossible!... Isn't it?), sixteen-year-old Shaley O'Connor struggles to keep going as the decision is made to continue the tour of her rock star mother's band. But at the hotel after the Denver concert ends her mother gets into a shouting match with the Cat, the despicable paparazzi who harrassed them so much in the first book he was issued a restraining order that he's ignoring, and enraged, he pushes her in front of a car and escapes in the confusion.

With the star hospitalized the Rayne tour is over, and Shaley insists on staying in the hospital room with her mother. Faced with their first quiet time together in years and overhearing Shaley discussing the killer's last words to her on the phone with her friend Brittany, Rayne decides to tell Shaley the truth about her father. Meanwhile in alternating chapters the hunt for the renegade paparazzi continues (he's been spotted at the hospital), and the hunt for her father (or the man claiming to be her father) begins. He just got out of prison, and readers know from his black band headed chapters that he is determined to get to Rayne and Shaley...

at all costs.

Barely two days ago when all this began, Shaley had been told that God is always watching, and now she is finally ready to start seeking Him out, but she's not even sure how to begin,...

and as events build to a climax at the hospital, she's running out of time.

The suspense continues in Final Touch.

This book picks up exactly where the first novel "Always Watching" left off and seamlessly continues the story of the Rayne tour where Shaley O'Connor is still in danger and due to a smarmy photographer her mom Rayne is injured and hospitalized. While in the hospital she finds out Shaley left out Jerry's dying words of warning that means the nightmare is not over yet and their group is still in peril.
Rayne finally tells Shaley the story of her past and how she met Shaley's dad and why their relationship did not work out. Meanwhile, Shaley's dad has been released from prison and may have reason to harm Shaley. The photographer who harmed her mom is still on the loose and the strain of being confined to the hospital room wears on Shaley but she knows it is for her own safety. This book was more suspenseful than the first one in the series and kept me reading through the night. I cannot wait for the last in the series.

Rayne O'Connor isn't the only rock star in this series, I think Brandilyn and Amberly Collins' can claim that status as well. With Brandilyn's signature "Seatbelt Suspense" and Amberly's great eye for an authentic teen point of view, this dynamic duo do an outstanding job giving readers fast-paced suspense that will leave you begging for more. I read the first two books back to back and each has an engaging story that includes characters from both my generation and my daughters', and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves YA fiction. I am really looking forward to seeing how Rayne and Shaley handle their next crisis in the recently released third book in the series, Final Touch.

I don't quite know what made the difference, but I liked this book a whole lot better than the first in this series. The writing didn't seem so shallow, the plot was suspenseful, the characters were more interesting & likeable this time around...I would recommend this one, for sure. The only thing it lacked was a more meaningful Christian message. The main character, Shaley, came to trust God with her troubles in this book, but there wasn't a significant message about Christ's sacrifice for us or the importance of having a personal relationship with Christ. I would have like to have seen something a little deeper.

I received this book as a gift and started it without knowing it was the second in a series. However even without having read the first installment, I enjoyed the story very much. The lead characters are likable and kept me interested and the pace of the book and suspense element kept me wanting more. I will definitely get the first book.

Last Breath picks up right where Always Watching left off: the Rayne Tour.

Rayne O'Connor and her daughter, Shaley, have a rare bond that's only made stronger by the 24/7 life they share when Rayne's band is on tour. The past twenty-four hours had been a nightmare: their hairdresser/makeup artist and one of their bodyguards had been murdered by a man they trusted, who'd been part of the tour. After he held Shaley hostage, he himself was gunned down by police. Yet the show had to go on.

A particularly vicious paparazzo got into a shoving match with Rayne outside the hotel, and she was hit by a car.

Jerry, the trusted driver, had whispered four words to Shaley just before the police killed him: "Your father sent me." Shaley knew nothing about her father.

As Last Breath unfolds, so does Rayne's story of Gary, Shaley's father.

Between chapters, readers get a glimpse into his mind, to take as they see fit.

Traumatized and frightened, Shaley has to process not only this new information, but everything that's happened to her in the past twenty-four hours.

While Last Breath is most definitely a sequel to Always Watching, the descriptions into prior events will allow "Last Breath" to stand alone. It's a really good book about a realistic teenager and her mom. Librarians would do well to recommend these books to avid readers who are looking for something new, besides the latest vampire book or yet another book about a fake, plastic teenager who won't hold the reader's interest. Highly recommended.

Last Breath, the second book in The Rayne Tour series, begins almost exactly where the first book leaves off. Shaley's mom, rock star Rayne O'Connor, is back on stage just days after two murders shook their world - and the world of everyone on the tour's staff. The band is determined to carry on with the tour until Rayne herself is attacked by a member of the Paparazzi and ends up in the hospital.

Now Shaley knows that she has to find the truth about what's going on. What did the last murder victim's last words mean? How do her parents fit into this mystery?

I enjoyed this book even more than the last book in the series. The mother-daughter team of Brandilyn and Amberly Collins offer not only a great, gut-clenching story, but a great way for mothers and daughters to connect. My daughter isn't quite old enough for this series, but I think moms with teens could read these stories and share them with their daughters to open up the lines of the communication. The stories focus on the rockstar lifestyle which appeals to many teens, and yet the main character finds that life isn't complete without God. A great way to create a open dialogue with teens who may be searching for answers.