I had a hard time relating to the story because I found it hard to think of a 16 year old making the decisions that she was tasked with. I was an awfully mature 16 year old but I think this would have rang more true if it would have been written with an adult viewpoint. The plot and characters are well written though.

I would say that this book should be 16+ as there is some strong language. Granted, 15- year-old me wouldn't have been too shocked by it, but we're all different. So this is a different type of paranormal YA book. Nowadays when you read that description, you automatically imagine vampires and werewolves. Here we are dealing with the Grim Reaper and the girl that is the Seeker. She is supposed to find the people with pure auras to make sure they pass and become angels. Sounds simple enough, but making sure good people die is really hard for 16 -year-old Ava who never wanted this. She and her mother move to a new town where she meets a mechanic who sends her life further into chaos.
I actually enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. It was fresh, fast and enjoyable and I think I would definitely read it again.

You can entice me all you wish with snarky dialogue but clichés and poor writing won't fool me. I went into this hoping for some fun and action, but all I got was the usual paranormal romance that I'm pretty sure I've read numerous times.

Birthright, by Jessica Ruddick, is an urban fantasy novel, and is the first in a series. I received this as a free e-galley from Netgalley because I was intrigued by the way "seekers" and "reapers" might be described. This book was touch-and-go for me, because while I really enjoyed the story, something about the writing rubbed me the wrong way.

Goodreads reviewer Kaylin described it as a "bag of potato chips. Because it’s kind of greasy, less than I want and there’s not a ton of substance--- but before I know it I’ve eaten the whole bag." That is exactly how I felt about Birthright. The relationship that develops between Ava and Cole and is honestly very likable. It throws a nice stone in the mix that forces Ava, as the protagonist, to become smarter and stronger...

...Which is good, because she is an utterly unlikeable protagonist. Ava came off as extremely annoying and entitled, in my opinion. I couldn't understand the logic behind some of her decisions, but maybe this was poor storytelling as well. At some points, it's like the author realized a plot hole and tried to casually insert a line to make up for it. For example, the origin behind seekers was explained hastily early in the book, and then we get a scene towards that end that is just so utterly deux ex machina and attempts to wrap everything up neatly, further explaining the origin of seekers. It was very disconnected from the rest of the story.

In my head, I docked another star for Birthright because of Xavier, the intermediary between the seekers on earth, and the Grim Reapers who need souls to collect. He is a cruel person, inexplicably and supernaturally powerful, and is so abusive to Ava and her mother for no reason whatsoever. There seems to be a backstory behind his relationship with Ava's mother, but without knowing anything more, it's violence without substance. 

As you can see, Birthright just didn't do it for me. The writing was choppy and plot devices horribly convenient. I disliked the protagonist, and since this is told in first person point of view, that's very difficult to get over.

I rate Birthright 2/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It has a unique premise (I mean the whole "angel" thing is a little overdone these days, but the author put a different spin on it--and to be fair it didn't focus on the angels). I liked the whole reaper/seeker/aura stuff, it was something new. I also liked the villain. He was a really good villain; scary and unpredictable. I hope I'm not giving too much away if I say I hope he makes another appearance. The story was fast-paced and kept you interested and wanting more... until the end.

If I had one critique of this book, it's that it ties everything up so neatly at the end that it doesn't really make you NEED to read the next one. I mean there's like one teeny tiny little cliff hanger but nothing that really reels you into the next book. That being said, I did like this book enough that I'm going to go and spend a whopping $4.99 to buy the next one on Amazon (which is saying something because most of what I read is free or *at most* like $1.99 on Kindle's Daily Deals).

In conclusion, this book was good enough that I'm actually spending money on the second one. Enough said!

DNF

Mini review:

I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. I had heard about this book through friends on GR. It sounded interesting and I wanted to give it a go. Unfortunately it was not for me.

I don't think I really like reading about Angels. That's just something personal and I probably shouldn't have requested it based on that. But I did enjoy the characters and Ava seeing people's auras. Also her relationship with her mother was fantastic!

All in all it wasn't for me. But I still recommend for the reasons above.

Birthright is the first novel in Jessica Ruddick’s Legacy series and is an utterly addictive read that kicks off a promising series in a tale full of sass, humour and sensational character chemistry that left me completely entranced from the opening page and dying for more!

Ava Parks is a seeker; a gift she received on her sixteenth birthday when her mother finally explained their family history. Able to see the auras that surround people, its Ava’s job to seek out those with white auras, the purest and best of humanity, and provide their names to Grim Reapers so that these individuals may have a shot at becoming angels. Giving these souls such an opportunity should seem like a blessing, but when you’re ultimately sentencing someone to death, how do you live with yourself? This question becomes increasingly clear with Ava’s latest assignment; where the white aura she finds belongs to arrogant, moody, too-charming-for-his-own-good classmate Cole Fowler who suddenly seems to be rescuing Ava left right and centre. Struggling with having to give up Cole’s name, Ava sets out to beat the system, but with Cole’s own secrets catching up to him, will Ava be able to protect the boy she’s coming to care about? Or will the grim reaper get their man after all?

Wow! Having just finished Birthright, can I just say how absolutely I LOVED this book? Seriously. I really adored this! From the very opening chapter the story completely sucked me in. Ava was a strong voiced character who had the perfect balance of heart and vulnerability while also managing to be sassy and full of sharp wit. In many aspects Birthright is perfect if you’ve enjoyed Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamer series and will keep you very much entranced by the delectable chemistry and budding relationship that develops between Ava and Cole as the novel unfolds.

There’s a really good (pardon the pun) aura to Birthright that becomes clear from very early on in the story. Jessica Ruddick sets the pace well; letting us just get a glimpse into the world of seeker’s and aura as our main character Ava and her love interest/protector Cole get to know one another. I still feel like there's so much to this world to learn and that Ruddick has only let us see the tip of the iceberg.

Ava and Cole will of course steal your heart with their strong, likeable personalities and electric dynamic together. It was highly entertaining, and at times endearing seeing them get to know one another. There's some great dialogue and witty, flirty banter as they fight the inevitable. Ava has some serious difficulties to face if she wants to protect Cole and as she faces her demons, Jessica Ruddick will have you wondering how this smart, sharp and feisty teenager will save Cole from certain death.

Fast paced and oh so good Birthright was a brilliant read and leaves me dying to see what is in store for Ava and Cole next after the shocking ending of this first instalment. I can't wait to read the sequel and I highly recommend Birthright if you're looking for a YA with a likeable heroine, wonderful romance and perfect chemistry!

Author Jessica Ruddick gives us a different take on the normal Grim Reaper story. Normally, we are led to believe the Grim Reaper works alone, collecting souls of the dead to transport them to heaven or hell. In this version, the Grim Reaper (actually multiple reapers) have seekers searching for specific people to choose for certain tasks.

The story brings a pleasant twist to the average Grim Reaper story, adds a new kick to the YA paranormal genre, and gives girls a reliable female protagonist who fights for what she wants instead of merely talking about it. I believe this new series will spark a new brand of followers to the YA community, and I am thrilled I had the honor to read this story. I happily look forward to the second chapter in The Legacy Series.

This was completely different than what I've originally read. I liked that the character, Ava Parks, is independent and realizes her mistakes and tries to fix them. She did come off a bit whinny because she wanted her mother to fix her problems, but also came to the conclusion that she couldn't depend on her mother forever. Didn't much like Ava's mother because she did bow down to whatever Xavier said even though she knew he was evil and didn't trust him. Ruddick capability to interact her characters with each other is like real human interactions and the story is well detailed. I could feel the emotions that Ava felt when she dealt with each situation that she encountered.

A cute paranormal romance that had me entertained by its main characters and their witty banter.

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On her 16th birthday, Ava Parks comes in to her birthright, learning that she is a seeker. A seeker’s job is to find people with white auras, because these souls are the ones with the potential to become angels. As soon as she finds these people, she has to submit their names to the Grim Reaper, who then ends their lives. Once a name is submitted, Ava and her mother then move on to another town, where the process is started all over again.
Only, this time the white aura belongs to Cole Fowler, an attractive classmate who tends to infuriate her, but more than once has also come to her rescue. It’s her growing feelings for him that leads to her choosing to save him instead of allowing death to take him, and now it’s up to Ava to make sure to keep Cole safe, all while dealing with the added danger of Cole’s past.
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I enjoyed reading Birthright. Though admittedly, the idea of having Grim Reapers as a plot point is somewhat played out, in Ruddick’s books, they aren’t exactly the main focal point; Ava’s job as seeker is. It’s a horrible position to be in, because then she’s ultimately the one choosing who is going to die, and she has to have their death on her conscience. It’s no wonder when she finally rebels. It’s surprising how grounded she is, really, and I like the way she was able to find some sort of normality in her burgeoning relationship with Cole.

Ava’s “relationship” with Cole actually turns out to be a saving grace, and his influence brings a new sense of responsibility to her life, as well as the need to have someone–other than her mother–care about her. I really liked how he could be snappy (though it was usually in response to her own snappiness), but he looked out for her and helped her out of some scary situations.

Of course there’s danger that comes with cheating death (have we not seen Final Destination??) and of course Ava and Cole will have to deal with whatever comes their way, but all cheesiness aside, at least they have each other… *Gulp*

Though this book can be considerably stereotypical when it comes to all things YA, I still enjoyed it considerably and will definitely be reading book 2.

I’ll recommend it if you’re into stereotypical and cheesy paranormal romances where grim reapers are not the emphasis, but still mentioned.

Brilliant book. Excellent main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley*

Ava is a reaper. But not just any kind, good people's reaper, only because they have a white aura. She isn't really doing anything wrong, she just seeks people to join the angels' ranks. But that does not make her feel better, as she has seen firsthand the aftermath.

What I didn't like at first was that I kept looking at the number of the series, because it seemed as if I had missed something before the beginning. From there, the book progresses great. The banter between the characters is amusing, and Cole is a sweetie at heart. I'd have like to understand more about her powers, as her aura-reading looked cool.
What I liked the most was the sensation of imprisonment (I know, I'm weird like that), which the author achieved very reallistically, mainly by Xavier, her mum's and her 'boss'.

This is a great, short YA, with an ending that will leave you wanting for more(I certainly want to read the next one).

About a year ago on her sixteenth birthday Ava Parks was let in on the secret of who and what she really was, a seeker. Ava’s job would be to find pure white souls for the Grim Reaper to take to possibly become angels. Just like her mother Ava is able to see the auras of those around her but only those of people near her own age which meant that Ava was forced to name young teenagers to be marked for death which is not something she was dealing with well.

When Ava meets Cole Fowler she immediately knows she does not want to give up his name but Cole’s aura is a glowing white even from the tough background he comes from. As the two grow closer though Ave comes up with a plan to try to get around being forced to sentence others to death. If the plan works out then Ava just may be able to live with being a seeker.

Birthright is the first book in the Legacy series by Jessica Ruddick. I found the concept of being forced to name those that would be killed an intriguing one. Who really would be alright with knowing that simply because you told their name this person’s life would end even if it wasn’t at your own doing? And not only does Ava have to name the next person for the reaper but it has to be the really good people that she needs to find.

The story also has a developing relationship between Ava and Cole. Cole was a very intriguing character to get to know when you find out all about what he’d been through and how he’s lived but to still be so good. The action the pair go through kept the pages turning as you await finding out if Ava’s plan may or may not work and if she can save Cole.

Overall, nice start to this series and I would definitely be interested in continuing to read after the cliffhanger ending of the first book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the sort of book that I would have absolutely loved when I was a young girl. It's magical and romantic and basically ticks a lot of young girl boxes. The novel tells the story of Ava, a teen girl with a particular job to do and Cole, a slightly older teen boy from the wrong side of the tracks. It is full of cliches and stereotypes, but I must stress that as a young girl of around 12, I would have eaten this up. For me now, it is too simplistic and there are far too many unexplained coincidences for my adult brain, but this book is not written for me. As a young adult novel, I think it works very well and the author has very cleverly left enough threads untied to warrant further books in a series. All in all, I can't say that I particularly enjoyed this book, but I think 12 year old me would have loved it!

(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to Jessica Ruddick and NetGalley.)

“That’s when I learned the truth, that Xavier was our connection to the Grim Reaper, that our job was to find white fated souls to die and join the ranks of angels, that I’d already been inadvertently responsible for the deaths of at least two people.”

This was a YA paranormal romance story, featuring a girl who could read auras.

Ava’s heart seemed to be in the right place in this book, but she was maybe a little naïve to think that she could outsmart a reaper and get away with it. Cole was a good character, and it was nice of him to try and protect Ava the way he did.

The storyline in this was about Ava and her mother being seekers – people able to read auras, who searched for people with white auras, who had the potential to be angels. Ava didn’t like this job though as she felt that the deaths of the people she found were on her hands. When Ava realised that Cole had a white aura she then tried to protect him rather than turning him in to her handler, which didn’t go well really. We did get a bit of romance then between Ava and Cole, and a little bit of action too.

The ending to this was okay, but things were left fairly open.
6.5 out of 10

This book reminded me exactly why I love Young Adult books so much. It had the cute bickering romance between two people who have endless chemistry. It has a plot line for days. And the drama! I love it!

This book was like a cross between Jessica Sorensen's writing and Jennifer L. Armentrout. It pretty much had all the amazingness you should expect from reading the synopsis.

I liked the writing style. It was straight forward and nothing was overly vague or over described. It was straight to the point and I understood exactly what was happening at any given moment.

If I hadn't been as busy as I was I could have read this one straight through. It was addicting to say the least. It was like the sort of book I haven't gotten to read in a long time. It felt great to get back to it. I'm interested to see where the author goes with the series. There's definitely going to be some major drama in the next book.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review Birthright by Jessica Ruddick! Ava has always seen people's auras in color and when she turned sixteen, she became a seeker for one of the many Grim Reapers. This is her inheritance. She seeks people with white auras that could become angels and then she tells Xavier (a Grim Reaper) the person's name and he takes their life. Ava lives with her mother and they move quite often and don't have much money. Her mother is a seeker also. She meets Cole when he saves her from getting run over by a car. They end up being project partners and have to do internship work together for 80 hours at the mechanic shop where he works. Ava and Cole annoy each other and the annoyance is described perfectly in this statement of Ava thinking about Cole; "He did a good job, worked hard, went the extra mile. God, it pissed me off.". Funny! Another great line shows how mechanically inclined Ava isn't, "I couldn't tell you the first thing about a catalytic converter other than it was metal and shiny. And it probably converted something". The down to earth sense of humor is great, the chemistry between Ava and Cole is charming and the fact that both of them have less than happy backgrounds makes them perfect for each other. An enjoyable supernatural read, 5 stars and I look forward to the sequel, Retribution!

Ava was a great character, she was full of spunk. This book was a page-turner, couldn't put it down.