Customer Reviews

Timeless Trilogy, Book One, Fate

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fate is the first book of the Timeless Trilogy series and centers upon the life of Kris Collins, a successful television producer. Her life seems to be coming together professionally and even romantically when Nicholas Evans, a flame from her past moves in next door. But all is not perfect for Kris for she is tormented by frightening visions. She has the gift of precognition: the ability to see into the future, which comes to her through visions and dreams. The dreams only give a glimpse into the future, a fragment at best.

I enjoyed the paranormal aspect of this story as well as the suspense. I didn't know how Kris would survive the twisted serial killer and just had to keep reading to find out. I liked that the solution and ending wasn't obvious in what would happen. The scenes were well written and descriptive.

I loved the banter between Kris and her love interest, Nicholas. The chemistry between them was good and I might have liked to seen a little more happen between them. I also liked the friendship that Kris had with her friends: Cassie and Veronica. Their friendship was closer to a sisterhood and they were likeable and interesting. Her friends are in books two and three of the Timeless Trilogy. This is a great story and I recommend checking it out.

I really enjoyed that this is an adult novel, but not in the sexual sense. It's very well written, with a little romance, but it's not over the top and it's a very clean read. While there is a serial killer on the loose, Grace spares her readers the gruesome details, leaving it all to the imagination, which, in my opinion, is sometimes more graphic than actually putting it in words, depending on the reader. It is refreshing to read a well-written psychological thriller that not only glues the reader to the pages as it unfolds, but also keeps the plotline wholesome. I love this genre, but very often I find that this type of writing gives too many bloody details, or revolves around a character's sexual fantasies, and those things tend to make me ill. Fate doesn't do either, focusing mainly on Kris and her precognition as she comes to terms with her stalker.

What starts out as a routine story about three friends quickly turns into one woman's nightmare as she is targeted by a relentless serial killer. The fact that Kris' pre-cognition tips her off that something terrible is coming deepens the suspense within the novel, and I really enjoyed it. While I wasn't sure where the story was headed in the very beginning, Grace quickly makes it clear as she sets up the background for the story through a sleepover at Kris's secluded beach home. Friends Roni and Cassie are more or less minor characters, but they help set the tone of the story prior to the plot thickening and the imminent danger being revealed.

I really liked that Kris didn't attempt to battle her stalker all on her own. This isn't one of those silly horror stories where the main character is too stubborn to ask for help. While Kris originally chalks up her premonitions to paranoia, when it becomes clear to her that she is in real danger, she seeks help. This adds to the believability of the novel, and made me really like Kris as a character. Although she is pre-cognitive, adding a paranormal feel to this novel, she isn't stubborn and she makes logical choices, first alerting her dreamy neighbor, Nick, and then the police. The cast of characters that Grace presents here are extremely interesting and easily likeable, all except the stalker, Damien, and I thoroughly enjoyed having an insider's view into his mind as it allows the reader to see just how much of a twisted genius he really is.

This novel is a roller coaster ride of emotion, leaving the reader in constant suspense as s/he knows what's coming, but not when it will happen. This is a truly great read, and with a little more editing and fine-tuning in terms of the few grammatical errors and typos, this story will be perfect. Overall, I am very impressed by this first novel in the trilogy, and will definitely be reading the next two novels, Spellbound and Destiny, especially as each sequel will focus on a different heroine. In Fate, Roni and Cassie are only side characters, and the reader learns just enough about them to whet the appetite, but there is room for them to grow. And it looks like that is exactly what Grace plans to do, giving both Roni and Cassie their own novel in this trilogy. I can't wait. Four and a half stars.

Kris is a successful video editor in Charleston, South Carolina with two best friends she's made her own family with. She has a beautiful beach house and a loving fluffy cat named Pegasus. She also just so happens to be precognitive. Her visions have never been about herself until she starts sensing that she is being watched, receiving late night phone calls, and finding flowers left at her house and on her car. Increasingly, she realizes she is in danger, and right then her old college flame moves in next door.

Kris is a relatable heroine without going over the top. She's no quivering violet, but also no Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Similarly, her love interest is kind and handsome without being sparkly and perfect. The plot is entertaining and modern. It keeps the reader guessing without forcing any characters to act stupid.

All of that said, Grace shows promise as a writer, but she still needs to work on her craft. Her plot structure is excellent, but she frequently shows instead of tells. Similarly, she struggles a bit when first introducing a character, often falling back on the beginner writer's method of explaining hair and eye color before anything else. Similarly, the book needs more editing for simple grammar, spelling, and typos.

Overall, this is an interesting mix of suspense, romance, and paranormal that keeps the reader guessing and interested and shows promise in the writer.

Fate by Tallulah Grace is the first book of a trilogy involving three friends.
Kris is a tall, beautiful and confident woman, she is also precognitive.
Kris has always had visions but lately has suffered from recurring nightmares, added to which she feels she is being watched.

The story starts with a bang and jumps straight into a gripping nightmare.
Kris is becoming more alarmed at their regularity but does not know what they mean.
Her two best friends are accepting of her paranormal ability and are very supportive.
Kris has known Roni and Cassie since their first day at college together.
I enjoyed watching their fun, relaxed relationship and their love for each other comes across strongly.

Living in her beach cottage is a joy to Kris but recently, due to the nightmares and her growing tension, she has become aware of how isolated she is on her quiet stretch of beach.
The cottage next to hers has been empty awhile so when a new occupant moves in she visits to show her welcome. Image her surprise when her new neighbour turns out to be her first love Nick, who she hasn't seen for ten years. Nick is amazed and delighted to find Kris on his doorstep but needs some answers to the abrupt and painful split at their college graduation.
They agree to have a meal together to catch up on the last decade, both are amazed at how quickly they feel comfortable in each other's company.
Nick soon knows what he wants, and that is to not loose her again, but Kris wants to take things slowly.
She is nervous that they are not the same people they once were, and wants the time to discover if they are still compatible. Nick is very understanding of this and respects her decision. I liked that these two could sit down and talk things through and truly listen to each other.

As the nightmares continue Kris finds gifts of flowers appearing unexpectedly but is not certain what to do. When a meeting on the beach leaves Kris even more disturbed she realises that she may very well have a stalker. She confides in her friends, and eventually Nick, when her feelings of dread increase and she has a sudden terrifying vision. They take her concerns seriously and contact the police for advice on the stalker.
The secondary characters, of both the police and FBI agents, are interesting and likeable, adding to the developing story. These newly formed friendships made me hope that their involvement would continue into the other books in the trilogy.
The build up of the suspense was well paced and the stalker was not so easily tricked, which I found realistic. I enjoyed Ms Grace's writing style, it flowed nicely and the wonderful chemistry between the main characters made for a nice contrast with the growing suspense.
My only disappointment was that the ending felt a little rushed, as I was wanting more time with the H/H after the conflict was dealt with. I hope this will be satisfied when we see Kris and Nick together in Spellbound, book two, which is Roni's story.

This book was given to the reviewer in exchange for their honest opinion.

Kris has two great friends in Roni and Grace. She lives in a beach house with her cat Pegasus. Her job is going great and an old flame moves into the empty beach house next door. Can everything really be this good? Maybe not. Kris is a precognitive. So when she starts having disturbing dreams she can't get past the feeling that something just isn't right. Kris finds out that she should always trust her feelings. Her feelings for her old flame Nick are being rekindled just as someone unexpected sets their sights on her. Kris discovers that she is the latest obsession of a stalker/serial killer. Can her visions help her in time or will Nick lose her a second time?
I loved this fabulous story. This book was a page turner that hooked me from page one. There was just the right amount of suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat. Tallulah Grace wrote some good characters that I want to continue to read about. Now that the story of Kris is complete I can't wait to read Roni and Grace's stories. They are sure to be just a wonderful as this one was. I am sold and think everyone should buy into these stories. The Timeless Trilogy is sure to please all.
* I received a copy for an honest review

A thrilling suspense with a charming romance weaved through. Definitely worth a read! The characters are vibrant and their stories are fascinating. I found myself wanting to be apart of their world, even with the present danger. It was hard for me to put the iPad down. I can't wait until book two!

*** D I S C L O S U R E *** I received a copy of this book for free to review.

Pretty good formatting and spell checking for an indie e-book -- I was pleasantly surprised.

The story is fairly predictable, but in romance that's not really a minus -- girl meets boy, they face adversity/are separated (bonus -- this had BOTH these plot points!), they overcome, they live happily ever after in a committed relationship.

The writing was good enough that I only noticed ~the writing~ once or twice. My issue with most indie books is that the writing is bad enough to make me notice the words rather than the story. This book didn't suffer from that.

I did think it could stand to be a little longer, and the foreshadowing of the romances to come in the other two books of the trilogy was a bit heavy-handed at times. All in all, a fluffy, fun little romance for fans of old-school Harlequin romances; sex is minimal and tame. Not quite enough heft to be a beach read -- more like a commuter read; something you can pick up and put down while on the train or bus and not worry about missing something if your attention occasionally wanders.

I was invested enough in the characters by the end to buy the second book to find out what happens next.

3.5/5 (I rounded up since Amazon wouldn't let me give half a star).

Fate left me wanting more from this fresh author, can't wait to read the next book. Down-to-earth characters and an unpredictable plot make this book well-worth reading.

In this novel we meet Kris, her two best friends, Roni and Cassie; Nick her ex-collage love who has after ten years believing her betrayal and her his, found the truth under lies and have been reunited as he moves in next door. It seems like fate but they soon a serial killer is stalking Kris (or Krissy to Nick) and they must fight harder than ever in a seemingly helpless situation to be together.

We also meet Dylan, a police officer and ex-FBI whom we learn only a little about but I have hope that he may be in the next book in this trilogy so we can learn about his past.

I really liked Kris as a character, she was likeable, caring of her friends and you could really feel the connection between the three; almost as if they had been together for life instead of just since collage--ten years.

Nick, I also liked he earned points as a character in my opinion for being able to cook; I do love a male character who is comfortable in the kitchen. ;) Also you could tell even if it were not for having some of his point-of-view that he really cared for Kris even after the years that had gone by since they last seen each other.

I have to admit that at first I was disappointed that I may not be able to really get into this novel. Not because of the plot, which I liked, but because of the switching between characters so unexpectedly. One minute we might be on Kris's point-of-view the next we may have Nick's, Roni's, or even Dylan's point-of-view and so on.

Like I said at first it bothered me, but after reading a little I found that I got used to it and kind of liked knowing what was going on in her friends head's.

Another thing, not something that really bothered me per-se but something I thought would have made the novel even more suspenseful is if we had not had so much of our bad guy's point-of-view. It was interesting but at the same time, again I think it would have made the novel more suspenseful if we had not had so much of his POV or at least not so much information from him when it was. Maybe if it had been slight snippets--but we really get a lot of information from him that in my opinion took away from the novel at points while reading.

Overall though I did enjoy the read it was a good first novel in the trilogy, giving us a lot of information about our next main characters in the next two, Roni and Cassie and I look forward to learning what will become of them.

*I received an Ebook copy of this book for free to review from the author.

I read a blog post that called this book an 'undiscovered gem' and I have to agree. The characters are refreshing and real, even with the paranormal aspects included. The story line is intriguing, can't wait to read the next installment.