Jennifer Blyth

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This Young Adult Paranormal Romance is awesome! Jennifer Blyth did an excellent job telling this story. I give it 4.5 STARS! I enjoyed the romance and love triangles, the action and drama, and the heartbreak and forgiveness. “Escaped the Night” had it all when it came to emotions! Ms. Blyth is great at world building; I love all the characters and the setting. Like I said, this book is just awesome!

Shanntal is the main character of “Escaped the Night.” She is an 18 year old girl with a short temper but a very big heart. After the horrible loss of her family, Shanntal moves in with her Uncle and Aunt. While trying to settle down in her new home, Shanntal meets some great friends and a possible love interest named Jayce. Immediately, she learns the truth about her new friends – they are immortal and some are crucial to the survival of humanity. Shanntal also learns that there are other immortals close by, and not the good kind…these immortals are nightwalkers (vampires), werewolves, and doomahorns (evil, red-eyed, horned monsters). When Shanntal comes into contact with a nightwalker named Daray, her memories come back – she and Daray were engaged, and Shanntal is immortal too. Shanntal is different from other immortals though; she is a part of both the light and the dark and will be responsible in uniting the two together to fight the same enemy. Will Shanntal be able to keep the light in her heart while joining forces with the dark? Who will she love – her current love Jayce, or her past fiancé Daray? Find out in Jennifer Blyth’s “Escaped the Night”.

I loved reading this book and seeing everything through Shanntal’s point of view. Shanntal, the heroine of “Escaped the Night”, was such a great character. I really enjoyed everything about her and loved how she had such a big heart and wanted to see the good in everyone; she thought everyone deserved a chance. I also liked the connection that she had to her love, Jayce. It was fun being able to see inside each of their minds and how they truly felt about each other. I thought Jayce was the perfect guy! He was just so cute and awesome! I loved the rest of Shanntal’s friends too, especially Kaleb – he was just so loyal and cool. Even though Lakylee and Daray were nightwalkers, I also really liked them. I enjoyed their characters, especially by the end of the book. I guess you could say I just loved all the characters! They were great!

Jennifer Blyth wrote this story with some twists that we don’t normally see in other stories. I really enjoyed the story behind the stars, I thought that was just so unique and beautiful; I will look at stars differently from now on. It was also great how many different supernaturals and immortals were in this book. I loved that all my favorite paranormal creatures were involved.

Thank you Jennifer Blyth for writing such a great book. I think that anyone who enjoys Young Adult Paranormal Romance will love “Escaped the Night” by Jennifer Blyth! I will definitely check out more of Ms. Blyth’s work. You should go check this book out now!

Brianna Lee Book Reviews
http://www.briannaleereviews.blogspot.com… (meer)

Shanntal has had a rough month, presumably due to the disturbing nightmares she has almost every night. As thus, it's only fitting that the story begins with a nightmare where Shanntal is being stalked by a dark figure with red eyes and bloody hands. Shanntal has dreadful nightmares like this almost every night. She wants to put those nightmares behind her and have fun. What better way to do so than by spending the night at her best friend Ginata's house?

Unfortunately, hanging out with Ginata only makes Shanntal's month that much more difficult. Ginata's interest in witchcraft and Ouija boards grabs the attention of a powerful vampire named Daray who claims he's been searching for Shanntal. One thing leads to another until Shanntal's home becomes nothing more than a mortuary. In the span of one night, Shanntal loses both her family and Ginata's family.

The police have no leads on the murderer(s). Reporters insist that Shanntal is somehow behind the deaths. The only thing Shanntal knows is that the bodies were drained of all liquids and had various bite marks.

With very few reasons to remain in Greyton, Shanntal decides to move to Blackwood with Stephanie, her aunt, and Danier, her uncle. That's how she meets Jayce, an extremely good looking guy with a dangerous vibe who quickly befriends and woos her, and all of his friends. Instead of trying to hide their oddities and powers, they make them clear from the get-go.

However, that powerful vampire Ginata and Shanntal talked to with the Ouija board isn't out of the picture yet. It turns out Shanntal and Daray had a past together. Soon Shanntal finds herself torn between Jayce and Daray. Who should she choose? To make matters worse, there are rumors about a war brewing amongst the immortals. The outcome will be up to Shanntal, since they believe she is the key to keeping peace as the savior. Can Shanntal succed?

The first one hundred pages were pretty rough. I spotted a couple of typos and awkwardly phrased sentences. Even though there were sections dedicated to Shanntal's background and family life, I couldn't quite grasp her special attributes or her seemingly nonchalant reactions to never aging and missing certain memories. At some points, Shanntal felt like a Mary Sue, mainly because almost everyone was willing to protect and work for Shanntal at a moment's notice due to her being special and unique. I had a hard time understanding why Jayce fell for her so very fast.

However, the story picks up when Shanntal and Jayce get into an argument and Shanntal decides to gather her own small group of friends to find things out herself. When she can't rely on Jayce, Daray, or her shapeshifter friend, the reader really gets a fulfilling and interesting peak into what makes Shanntal unique and special. After adventuring on her own, Shanntal's characterization rounds out and Escaped the Night becomes a read worth finishing.

I'd say that this book appeals most to paranormal romance fans and those who loved Twilight. The start is rocky, but the book is an enjoyable read overall, and the overarching message that love and friendship conquers all is sweet and charming.… (meer)