I received this book for free from the in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Series: Darkly Beings
Published by Indie Published on August 27, 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 312
Format: eBook
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Every family has a dark past.
Wyatt McKenna has avoided his hometown for years, until a chance encounter prompts him to return to the small Texas town of Caldero, a place where he prefers to keep the memories of his childhood buried.
Natalie Betancourt is sent to spend the summer with her aunts in Caldero, in an attempt to escape the curse placed by the very priests that have guarded her family’s secret for generations.
In a sleepy Southern town where nothing ever happens, Wyatt is charged with changing the course of Natalie’s fate and the destiny that awaits them both.
My Thoughts:
Having just finished his college degree, Wyatt McKenna reluctantly returns to his small Southern Texas hometown for the summer before he starts medical school. He hasn’t been back since he left for college four years earlier, and when he arrives in Caldero, he finds that most things haven’t changed. His mother is still a raging alcoholic (and has been since his father left them when Wyatt was young), Â most of his high school pals are back in town for the summer or never left, the housekeeper who practically raised him is still stern yet sweet, and the best restaurant in town that’s run by two elderly sisters is going strong and cooking up the best food around.
But everything in town isn’t exactly the same, and as soon as Wyatt steps foot into that restaurant while on an errand for the housekeeper Carmen, he’s intrigued by the sisters’ niece Natalie. She’s mysterious, pretty, and more importantly, she’s from out of town so she doesn’t know all about his past. Wyatt is drawn to her and the aunts push her to be friends with him because they are worried that she’s hiding herself away. While Natalie is nice and eventually comes out of her shell around Wyatt, she’s a bit uneven in personality at times. She also shuts down when Wyatt asks too many questions about why she’s staying in Caldera or he tries to take things past the friend level.
Natalie has good reasons for shutting Wyatt down, and her past is even darker than Wyatt’s history is. But will Wyatt turn tail and run when he finds out her secrets or will he stay and fight for her?
Wyatt is a self-assured, strong-willed, accomplished, and smart young man. Growing up in a house with an alcoholic mother and being mainly raised by a Mexican healer/housekeeper has made him skeptical of the supernatural and faith. When things that he can’t explain start to happen when he’s back for the summer, he’s forced to reevaluate his childhood and face the darkness that he’s lived with all of those years.
Natalie is feisty, tall, and unpretentious. She sees Wyatt for what he is from the get go, and she doesn’t fall for the former high school quarter back instantly. Natalie tries to keep her distance, but Wyatt is persistent. Her secrets are monumental and insurmountable, but she thinks that they are hers alone to bear, and no one else should have to deal with her or them.
Southern Texas is really another character in this book. The food, the atmosphere, the terrain, the local attractions–along with the activities the locals do for fun–all of these things bring Darkly Beings to life and give you the flavor and feel of true small town south Texas living. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into this part of the United States for the length of the book.
I give Darkly Beings a four out of five. Full of Tex Mex flavor and rich settings, Wyatt flourishes as he discovers what Natalie’s secret is and through his struggles to help her. Told in Wyatt’s first person point of view, the narrative flows nicely and the ending leaves on a smaller cliffhanger, setting up nicely for a sequel.
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Sounds like an interesting book but I’m most intrigued by the setting. I don’t htink I’ve ever read anything with Tex Mex influence. It is kind of hard to get behind a guy with the last name of McKenna though. While it is indeed a surname, it’s too ingrained in my mind as a girl’s first name.
Alison (@AlisonCanRead) recently posted..Waiting on Wednesday: Daylighters by Rachel Caine
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The Tex Mex flavor is such a great thing throughout this book. The author grew up in this part of Texas and is hispanic, so everything is authentic. It really adds a nice depth to Darkly Beings.
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Texas really has its own personality and, because it’s so big, so many different cultures all melded into it. Great place to set a story!
Mary @ BookSwarm recently posted..Speed Date with Evie: ENDLESS KNIGHT by Kresley Cole
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I totally agree about Texas, Mary! The South Texas setting in Darkly Beings adds a nice rich atmosphere to the book.
Heather recently posted..Killer Image by Wendy Tyson – Blog Tour and Giveaway
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First of all – wow, look at that creepy cover! I have a thing for covers with creepy houses on them, they always remind me of stories such as The Shining by Stephen King or haunted-house books by James Herbert.
Second, I love stories set in Texas! And from your review I gather that this one has a gorgeously depicted setting, which is always such an important part of the book for me. I’m very excited for this book, thanks so much for introducing me to it, Heather! 🙂
Evie recently posted..Amarok by Angela J. Townsend (Review)
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The cover of Darkly Beings is a bit creepy, isn’t it? The southern Texas setting for this book adds so much to the atmosphere and tone. It really becomes another character in the novel.
Heather recently posted..Killer Image by Wendy Tyson – Blog Tour and Giveaway
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I love books were the setting is a character. Thx for the review heather
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You’re welcome, Roro!
Heather recently posted..Killer Image by Wendy Tyson – Blog Tour and Giveaway
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Heather, thanks for having me again on Bewitched Bookworms! I always love coming for a visit 🙂
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You’re welcome, Claudia! I always enjoy it whenever you pop on over 🙂
Heather recently posted..Killer Image by Wendy Tyson – Blog Tour and Giveaway
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