Blog Tour ~ Since Inception by T.R. Graves ~ Review (by Jaime!) and Giveaway!
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By T.R. Graves
Published on December 9, 2014
Published by CreateSpace
Published by CreateSpace
After discovering she has a problem worse than anything she could have ever imagined, Rainey Billows longs for the past—a time when she thought she was just a sadistic sleepwalker. Worse yet, this problem has been with her since inception.
Rainey, a woman who's suffered an entire lifetime of pain and humiliation because of her sleepwalking, is financially desperate when she takes in Carter Dodson as a boarder. With his presence in her house and her attraction to him, her internal conflicts, ones she's usually able to ignore, swim to the surface and take control. Before she knows it, her sleepwalking moves to a completely new level, and she's doing things she'd never thought possible.
In fear for Carter's life and without options, Rainey sentences herself to a nighttime ritual that would appear barbaric to others. In her mind, it's essential because, unlike anyone else, she knows firsthand the types of atrocities she's capable of in her sleep.
Carter, a man branded as unconditionally loyal by his friends, knows very little about Rainey but decides early on that she's a woman who has no one… a woman who needs someone. He commits himself to being that person for her. As soon as she makes her first request of him—to ignore her and her nighttime rituals no matter what she says or does—he reconsiders his pledge before quickly reminding himself he can't abandon her. She's had enough of that.
Months later, study, research, and theories are not enough, and standing by is no longer an option. Carter suspects what's wrong with her. What she is. With his suspicions in tow, he searches out and enlists the help of Luke, a childhood friend who's fast-tracking his way to priesthood. After a series of unforeseen and life-threatening events, the two men learn that even the Almighty himself may not be able to help Rainey.
My Thoughts
I was super excited when I was chosen to be a part of the tour for Since Inception. When I saw the cover, I knew it was a book that I had to read. Dark and creepy! The synopsis was right up my alley, and I jumped right in as soon as I received the ARC. While I did have some issues with the story, for the most part I really enjoyed the story. It was fairly fast-paced, with an interesting plots, and another story woven in the pages.
We start off from Gigi's perspective, Rainey's grandmother and keeper of the family home. Through her small part, we learn that the house is basically its own character, with feelings and emotions. It very much loves Gigi, and when Gigi is threatened, the house tries to protect her. Things don't end up that way, however and Gigi dies. Rainey learns that Gigi has given the house to her, and we start Rainey's story as she begins her life there. Through a few back flashes, we see her place an ad for help around the house, and meeting Carter who becomes her roomate/ contractor. We also jump right into Rainey's struggles with Stormy, another soul trapped inside Rainey who only comes out when
Rainey sleeps.
I don't want to get too into the plot, and who and what Rainey and Carter and Stormy are. I will just say that from the moment we see Rainey handcuffed to the bed to protect the world from Stormy, and Carter finally admitting his love for Rainey, things take a turn for the wild. There are so many beings in this book. Hellions and Hellhounds, Dark Wizards and Witches, Tartarus, Neptune, Motleys.... It can be very consuming, so you have to really go into the book ready to pay attention just to keep things straight.
Rainey was a good character, though she did some things that truly bothered me. I liked that she wanted to be a strong and independent woman, and I like that she is willing to do whatever it takes to save people that she loves. I don't want to give anything away, so I will just say that when Soule comes into the picture is when Rainey becomes a little less likable. For me. Carter is super sweet, gentle and loving with Rainey. He is 100% committed to her safety and he loves her. I liked his character, and I enjoyed the romance between these two. Soule, one of the other major players, was just.... Soule. Sexy, dark and mysterious. I enjoyed him as well, and I think he is so much more than what he seems. The other characters in the story were really well written, each with their own character and depth. That is one thing T.R. Graves does really well, making each of her characters their own person.
Like I said earlier, I did have some issues with the story. Sometimes, the pacing was very slow. There were so many words, but nothing actually happening and I found myself getting bored sometimes. I think this book could have been so much better if some of the extraneous stuff was edited out, and it kept to the meat of the story. My other issue was Rainey's families story, told to her by Gigi when she was a child. We are given the story in pieces, at the beginning of the chapters. I like this sometimes, but sometimes I would have to flip back and remind myself of what had happened previously. It would be awesome if there was a novella with this story, so we could read it all in one go. Finally, I feel like there were two stories in this book, and one was completely dropped when the other came into play. Basically, the first part was Rainey/Stormy, the second part was La Reine/Soule/Carter. I have a feeling it will all come together in the next books, though
I know it sounds like I didn't like more than I liked with Since Inception, but really that isn't the case. I liked the story and I plan to read the next one. When I write reviews I want to be completely honest in them, so I felt like I had to state my issues. Regardless of those issues, I enjoyed this story and I think T.R. Graves is a very talented author with a crazy good imagination, and I look forward to more from her!
T. R. Graves, the author of Warrior, Secrets, and Still Standing series—currently available—and Vanishing and Underwater series—to be released next year—is a 2012 & 2013 NaNoWriMo Winner.
She lives in Texas with her husband, their nineteen-year-old daughter, and nine-year-old son. Besides being blessed with a supportive family, she counts her career as an administrator and registered nurse in not-for-profit hospitals among her most fulfilling accomplishments.
Giveaway
