Review of "Winter's Destiny"

I won this book by Nancy Allan in a giveaway on Goodreads and it was pretty breathtaking. By the end I gave up on all of my work I had to do to finish this. It starts off great and ends even better. Formal review:

“Winter’s Destiny” is a mystery/thriller/romance novel about a woman who sees an image of herself bleeding outside of her house and then her life collapses around her. It is a fast, intense, lightning-paced read that you won’t want to put down until the amazing conclusion.

I loved this book. It started out quick and, like another reviewer said, I wasn’t sure if the author would be able to keep up the pace but she did and it was phenomenal. Unlike other books, this book didn’t take time out of the action to explain tedious backstories that make you want to put the book down and snooze. While everything was being explained, there was constant action and twists and turns.

The only reason I didn’t rate it higher (the editing was sort of bad but I’m not going to bring that into this) was because it was a little predictable, but I didn’t really mind. Considering it’s a first novel, I think the author did an amazing job. I love the characters from the strong, brilliant Amy to the sweet, tough Dallas. And all of the characters in between including her son and other characters who I won’t mention but who’ll you know by the time you finish were great. Even the villain was awesome (I hated him but he’s the kind of character you love to hate).

The plot itself wasn’t the most original but there still were enough twists to make it not seem like any old average mystery novel. The romance was also adorably sweet and not too overdone; it managed to make you root for Dallas and Amy without taking too much away from the plot or boring you.

One thing I have to comment on is the setting. I absolutely adored it. The cliffs and the danger of the water and “Sneak Waves” were awesome. The author does a terrific job of explaining so that you actually feel as if you’re in the story with the characters, fighting against the suction of a wave trying to drag you out to sea. The fact that the setting lent itself to the dangers of the whole story was awesome. And I’d love to have a house on the coast designed by Amy (when you read it you’ll know which house I’m talking about).

The writing was pretty good too; I didn’t expect too much from a first novel but my expectations were surpassed. The writing added to the story and if I was in a bookstore looking for the next book to read I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book by Nancy Allan because I know her writing style will only get better as she gains more experience. She has description but not so much that you’ll grow bored and she’s good at showing feelings over telling.

Overall, a great quick read. If you’re looking for something engrossing then you’ll like this book. Any fans of mystery thrillers will love it for a fast paced, fun read. Definitely recommended. 

Not much else to say on this one. Have fun mystery/thriller fans. Nancy Allan is an author to keep an eye on.

Final Verdict: 7.0/10

Happy Reading!

~Amber