Review: Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule - Megan

Synopsis from Goodreads

Thirteenth daughter. Heritage witch. Demon slayer.

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Whispering Pines. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

Sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf is a heritage witch from the Broussard family, a family both destined and cursed. After she takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan. But Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list, and Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him. Complicated much?

After receiving cryptic messages from a creepy wraith and frightening threats from a demon, Shiloh finally begins to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist. Now Shiloh must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.

Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.

*A copy was provided by the author for review purposes*

With a thought provoking beginning that includes an unforseen encounter with a man masked in shadows, Beautifully Broken sets the stage for an intriguing book. Told from the perspective of 16-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf, we experience the chilling events that originate from the tales of a curse placed upon the town of Whispering Pines. 

There is a distinct eerie atmosphere present throughout this book that lingers within the mystery Sherry Soule fuels into the imponderable plot. Twists and turns are constantly being thrown in our direction so you have no idea what's going to happen next. 

Let's skip to the romance, shall we? Trent Donovan is typical of most boys populating our planet today - undeniably gorgeous with an unappealing personality. You can't help but be sympathetic towards him though because of his broken past (a dead mother and a father who pretends you don't exist would definitely bruise the ego, right?).

His relationship with Shiloh was realistic due to its uncanny similarities with everyday teenage relationships. Their romance took a backseat to the main aspect of the plot but not extensively and it intertwined perfectly with Shiloh's task at hand. Lust was the fuel for their relationship for the majority of the book however, but once we reach the climax we can sense that they truely have fallen in love with each other.

Shiloh is strong and determined yet filled with fear to the brink of breaking down, but her growing powers gives her the added courage that pulls her through to the finishing line. Her tendency to quickly accept and forgive left me a little frustrated with her however. I mean, there are various deaths throughout the book but a few tears are shed and suddenly it's the next chapter with little reminiscences to follow. Despite this flaw, Sherry did a remarkable job of capturing the essence of a teenager's frame of mind.

The supporting characters made little appearances but they contributed to the plot accordingly rather than hang about like party decorations. Even with their lack of presence I appreciated what they individually brought to the story.

Darkness fills every crevice within the story that is wonderfully described once it releases itself onto the pages. My only problem is the grammatical mistakes that occasionally appear throughout the book but I could easily forgive this due to it's high quality. 

The chilling conclusion was impeccably done with loose strings neatly tied up and new ones cheekily left hanging. I wouldn't neccessarily call it a cliffhanger but the final words make you thirst for the next book.


Stop by tomorrow for the blog tour for book two in the Spellbound series MOONLIGHT MAYHEM and get a chance to win an ebook copy of BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN!