Review: Betwixt + Novellas

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Betwixt by Melissa Pearl

Publication Date: November 5th, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

Beautiful, wild-child, Nicole Tepper, is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well. 

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded. 

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?  

I really enjoyed Betwixt! With realistic, flawed characters and a super cool plot, the book will definitely enthrall reader's and keep them up past their bedtime. 

Nicole is in a little bit of a tough spot. Her body is in the middle of nowhere, seriously injured. Thankfully, Nicole’s spirit is free to roam around and get help. Easy, right? Nope. Dale is the only person that can hear her, and the two of them have a bit of unpleasant history. Dale was an intriguing character. He seemed to have his priorities straight, unlike Nicole, and had some cool backstory. I really wanted to slap Nicole for, at first, acting so terrible around him. 

Watching Nicole grow was one of the best parts of the book. No better time to reflect on your life than when it is in danger of ending! Experiencing her revelations about Dale and her lousy choices was awesome. Lastly, Nicole’s voice was perfect, I loved reading with her narrating. 

Also, I should mention the mystery involving the hit-and-run driver who nearly killed Nicole. This was a very interesting part of the story!!! Also, all the action that unfold after finding the culprit are some of my favorite scenes. In the end, I am not sure if the villain got what he deserves, but, never fear, my complaint is fixed in the nest novella!

Overall, Betwixt was a very, very addicting read! The mystery, characters, and development were splendid.

4/5 Stars

Now, onto a review of Before!

Before by Melissa Pearl 

Publication Date: September 2013

Series: Betwixt #0.5 
Amazon/Barnes and Noble 

Dale Finnigan is a teenage rebel; he lives for parties, girls and joy riding in stolen cars. In spite of his uptight parents' constant warnings and lectures, he continues to run wild. His crazy lifestyle is the only way he can live and feel free… Until his reckless behavior takes him down a path where there is no going back.

In this prequel to BETWIXT, find out who Dale Finnigan was before he became known as“scar-face”—the unassuming hero everyone underestimates.

I thought this was a great novella to go along with Betwixt. Everyone who read the first novel will definitely like getting to know the young, rebelling Dale Finnigan. 

In my opinion, Betwixt was better than Before. That said, Before was still a compelling read. Reading from Dale’s perspective might have given me a headache (boy does he make a lot of mistakes!) but his voice was super realistic. 

This book made Dale seem so much more real and awesome! I am tempted to compare past Dale to the Dale we know and love in Betwixt. There is so much growth! His struggles with life, family, and other things made him three dimensional and I loved seeing some of his struggle's resolved!

Overall, I feel much more connection to Dale, now that I know his past!

3/5 Stars

Now, onto a review of Beyond!

Beyond by Melissa Pearl

Publication Date: October 20th, 2013
Series: Betwixt #1.5
Amazon/Barnes and Noble 

Have you ever been so in love with someone, but not had the courage to tell them?

Nicole Tepper is that girl. She loves her boyfriend Dale, but fearing rejection, keeps her feelings buried deep. She can’t even let on how heartbroken she is when Dale begins applying for colleges thousands of miles away from her; never even whispering a word about how much she wishes he would stay close.

But, when Dale is rejected from Columbia University in NYC, due to a police record that follows him wherever he goes, Nicole soon discovers that love can drive her to do things she never thought possible.

What an awesome read!

Beyond went, well, beyond my expectations (haha!) After I finished reading Betwixt, I was sure that the author had a perfect conclusion and didn’t need another novella. Well, Melissa Pearl proved me wrong! I was immediately sucked into Nicole’s story!

I loved seeing Nicole and Dale together without the threat of her death! They were so sweet! I loved how, even though she didn’t want to be separated, Nicole made it her mission to get Dale into his dream college. Do you remember how I mentioned I thought the villain of Betwixt got off easy? That is fixed in Beyond! Seeing their terrible acts come back and bite might have been the best part of the book!

Overall, I loved this conclusion to the Betwixt trilogy. I am left immensely satisfied!

3.5 Stars

Giveaway!

Open internationally Prizes:
-Paperback of the Betwixt series omnibus
-25$ Amazon Gift Card
Good luck!
Oh, and isn't the omnibus cover gorgeous?
Just had to point that out!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway



Happy Reading!!!