Review: Life of Forever by Beth Bares

Title: Life of Forever
Author: Beth Bares
Series: The Dreams Trilogy #3
Publication: May 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

   

With an open hand, your dreams will be held gently...

Deciding to trust and love left Elizabeth’s heart vulnerable. The lies and secrets of the past year have manipulated her direction, causing her so-call normal life to be put on hold. She’s now questioning where she fits... in the world of mortal or immortal and desperately needs to be her own person.

It was time to take back the control, but in order to take those steps, it could mean leaving behind the people she holds dear deep within her heart...specifically the only man she has ever loved.

But the intense feelings that burn inside are hard to ignore, placing her once again in life and death situations.

~My Thoughts:

I finally got around to reading Life of Forever, the final book in The Dreams Trilogy. These books have always been pretty special to me because the author, Beth Bares, asked me to review the first book a while back and so I ended up reading and reviewing the whole trilogy. Also I've always said I really like these covers and the titles. They're simple covers but I think they're just gorgeous. I love them. The same goes for the titles. So overall I'm really glad I got to chance to reads these books.

The Book started with a really great prologue (everyone who knows me just a little bit must know I love prologues in books and Beth Bares always writes really good ones!) where we found out how Elizabeth came to her adoptive parents when she was a baby. I loved reading and finding out about that. Very nicely done!
As the current story continues, Elizabeth is still struggling with being apart from Andrew even when she's still madly in love with him and being mad at James for being in a relationship with Gabrielle after everything she did. 
I was kind of frustrated myself by James before it seemed like he was choosing Gabrielle over Elizabeth, who's been his friend for so long, but I was glad when Elizabeth got to her senses and realized that if she didn't want to loose James she should accept that he loves Gabrielle and is going to be with her. I was glad for that. 

I liked the overall story, I'm was very satisfied with the ending. It was really beautiful. And I was glad to see it all end in a good way (not that I was expecting a bad ending but you never know with books!). 
But my favorite aspect in this book (and pretty much the whole trilogy) was the romance. Yes, the romance was amazing. Loved it. And that ending, so romantic! 
But I must say that some parts were a little confusing to me though in the end that wasn't as important when the rest of the story, the characters, the romance was so nicely done.


All in all, Life of Forever by Beth Bares was a great conclusion to The Dreams Trilogy. I loved reading it and this last book was my favorite of the bunch. It had some flaws but that was easily overlooked when looking at the overal novel. It was romantic, easy to read, a great pacing and fantastic characters. A very good ending to a good paranormal romance series and still a very nice take on immortals. 

Purchase Life of Forever at: 

Amazon

Review: Reality of Life by Beth Bares

Title: Reality of Life
Auhtor: Beth Bares
Series: The Dreams Trilogy #2
Publication: June 18th 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback, 364 pages
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 3/5

Things aren't always as they seem...

Being a carrier of the Seventh Power Mark, doesn’t come with as much glitz and glamour as the novels Elizabeth writes. But she is determined to learn the mark’s full potential from some of the most powerful teachers in the immortal world...the Scribes. Unfortunately, they reside at Chateau LeRenoir, which means getting around the Council and the all too protective men in her life.

However, just when she thinks her plan is about to be fulfilled, her intentions are diverted. And when the betrayal of a trusted ally propels her into a web of family secrets, no one including Elizabeth, is ready to face the reality of her life.

Lives are on the line and Elizabeth now has to find her own way out.

~My thoughts:

This review has been delayed soooo long with December and the first weeks of January being so crazy busy but now here it finally is!

First of all a huge thanks to Beth Bares for being so kind to send me a copy in change of a honest review!
And also I love these covers. They're simple but so pretty with their colors. Especially this one. I love purple!

For some reason I just adore the beginning of these books. I really love these prologues. It's very nice to get a feel of how the book is going to turn out. And with the prologue of Reality of Life it was definitely a good start.

I don't rate with halves and all that stuff bu I actually want to rate this book 3.5 because I definitely loved it more than Dreams of Reality. It had more action and suspense and mystery to me. Loved that! 

New characters! New characters! :D Loved them. I was especially happy that James found his love, finally! I so wished for this. I actually said this in the review of the first book that I wanted him to find someone so I was practically jumping up and down when this happened. I also really like the person he got together with. Even when at first she was kind of bad. It was so unexpected when he fell in love with her but it was such a brilliant move from Beth. So excited to read more!
As always I really loved Anton. He's definitely my favorite character. Him and Claire are the cutest couple ever! 

The only negative thing I can say is that I'm sad for Elizbeth and Andrew. I don't want to spoil any more than I already did, but I really hope they will end up together in the end. They are meant for each other and I've come to care a lot about them.

The immortal world of these immortals and half-bloods keeps growing and growning. I could almost see the book as a movie in my head and I loved it!

All in all, this book was better than the first one (to me at least) and made me hungry for the next book also. I can't wait to see (read) how Elizabeth's story will end. Hopefully happily ever after but you never know!

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Purchase Reality of Life at:

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Author Interview with Beth Bares!

I'm so pleased to have Beth Bares, the author of the Dreams Trilogy, join me here on Bookfever for an interview!

If you would like to check out my review of Dreams of Reality, you can do it here.

Now on to the interview... :D

Welcome to Bookfever, Beth and thanks so much for doing this interview with me!  

You are so welcome and thanks for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity. 


1. Who or what inspired you to write The Dreams Trilogy?

Actually my inspiration came in the form of a hurricane. My family and I were stuck without electricity for more than a few days and unfortunately, I didn’t have any new books to keep me company, so I decided to write my own book. Haha. I found a pen and a notebook and to my surprise, the words started flowing. When the electricity was restored, I transferred my notebook to my computer and kept writing. It has been so much fun.

2.  Is there a message in your novels that you want your readers to grasp?

Even though the individuals in my books have paranormal characteristics, their story isn’t about what they can and can’t do – magically or physically. It’s about being accepted for who you are. Everyone is looking for that special someone to love and care for. Imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same.


3. What was the hardest part of writing your books? 

The hardest part for me was the ending.  I can tell you, I rewrote the ending more than a few times.

4. Do you have any favorite characters in your books, if so, who and why? 

Wow, that’s a hard one.  I love all of my characters.  They are sincere, caring, cocky, funny and full of them selves.  But I guess my favorite is my heroine, Elizabeth.  She grows up a lot in the series.  Her life is centering around one thing, her writing.  In the series, Elizabeth is a best selling paranormal romance author.  She lives her life through her stories, has no social life and has never dated, much less have a relationship.  She is very independent and stubborn.  If you’ll pardon the cliché, she really does come full circle and blossoms into an incredibly strong and delicate young lady.

5. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

This is a really good question and also a very funny one.  Actually the most surprising thing was getting my characters to be quiet.  I know that statement should be sending the men in white coats after me, but it’s true.  I didn’t start out wanting to write a series.  Finally by the time I was three fourths of the way finished with the third and final book, my characters were barely whispering.  haha 

6. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I love to eat sunflower seeds while I write.  Of course, there has to be music.  I usually put on Rob Thomas, Bruce Springstein or some soft Motown.  

7. Which authors influence you the most?

I’ve come across so really exciting new authors in the last couple of years that have been a big influence in completing the series. I love the Dorthea Benton Frank, Colleen Hoover, Sylvain Reynard and S.C. Stephens.

8. What do you think makes a good story?

I hate reading predictability.  The characters need to have more to say or do, other then just a problem that needs to be solved in order to live happily ever after.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the sweet endings and chick lit beach reads, but I love, heartfelt, boulder on your chest, turning the page and saying outloud…WHAT?! ..kind of books.  Those are the ones that keep me awake til 3 in the morning!

9. Which author would you love to co-author a book with someday?

Colleen Hoover or S.C. Stephens.  I think these two new authors are going to long time best selling authors.  I love their style of story-telling.

10. What three books would you recommend people to read?

Colleen Hoover – Slammed and Point of Retreat



S.C. Stephens – Thoughtless and Effortless

Sylvain Reynard – Gabriels Inferno and Gabriels Rapture

Opps….that’s more than three.  haha

Thank you again for this really great interview. I enjoyed it a lot!

Anytime Stephanie.  Thanks for having me and also…thanks for all you do for us authors.  Your support is appreciated more than you know.

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Review: Dreams of Reality by Beth Bares

Title: Dreams of Reality
Author: Beth Bares
Series: The Dreams Trilogy #1
Publication: Published March 9th 2012 
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Cover Rating: 5/5
Content Rating: 3/5
Purchase: Amazon

Elizabeth’s dreams and visions are playing out in reality, and those closest to her know why. Now they are forced into confessing their true identities, giving Elizabeth the shock of her life. She doesn’t know whether to be freaked out or thrilled the magical world she’s dreamed of actually exists.

But when her newest vision displays evil within the most powerful immortal council, fear takes precedent over all other emotions.

Elizabeth is more than ready to embrace her new life, but on her own terms, not those from century old, ego ridden machos.

My thoughts: 
I read Dreams of Reality because the author, Beth Bares asked me to review it and send me a copy of it. I wanna say thank you to her for this wonderful chance and for the patience she had with me because it took me a while to get to it. (So many books, so little time...) But finally I got to reading it and it didn't took me long at all! Only four days and the book was done already. The last day I actually stayed up very late (or should I say early) to finish this book because I wanted to know what was going to happen. I couldn't stop reading those last days.

Dreams of Reality started out with an awesome prologue that made me go... "Yeah! This is something I will love!"
I loved it right away when it was about vampires and immortals. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm in love with vampires and love reading about them. So it was a very good start of book for me.

My favorite aspect of this book was this original world full of immortals, half-breeds and what not. I've never read a book similar to that. So it definitely has a lot of potential to grow to become an amazing world that readers will love and wish, just like the character of Elizabeth, to be a part of.
I loved the characters Well, actually I just loved all the guys. James, Andrew and Anton were so nice to get to know. I especially had a soft spot for Anton for some reason I can't quote figure out. I also really liked Andrew's sister, Claire. She was so much fun. I wish I could be her friend!

However... I wasn't really hooked right away even if I loved the prologue a lot already. I had a hard time connecting to the story and the characters. The POVs change a lot, so sometimes I was a little confused but that soon cleared up once I got more settled with the book's pace. The character I connected with the least was Elizabeth and this is too bad because the story is mostly about her but I did like her. Especially in the end when she got her cool powers and showed those guys not to mess with her or keep secrets. So way to go, Lizzie! 
I also wished I had more background of the characters and more explaining about the awesome powers the immortals and vampires have.

I'm usually not a fan of insta-love but I liked it with Elizabeth and Andrew. They were so sweet together and they love each other so much. Also the romance between Claire and Anton was so cute! I hope James find someone soon too though. He was so sad, all alone.

Dreams of Reality may have its negatives but also a lot of positives, like this amazing world full of immortals and vampires you can get to know and such a sweet romance that makes you sigh out loud and make you crave more! Any paranormal romance addict will be intrigued to bite into this and not let go!

~Favorite Quote~

He'd closed the door to all of his emotions years ago, but now, the aroma that seeped from her flawless skin was an intoxicating mixture of lilacs and rain, captivating his senses.

You can find more out about Beth Bares' books at: 

Goodreads

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