4.5 – A Fantastic Heartwrenching YA Paranormal Romance 

Summoner by S.D. Grimm surprised me in so many ways and it was pretty fantastic! To be honest, this book was not what I expected it to be, but that turned out to be a really good thing.

Grimm’s writing is beautiful, evocative, and had a nice flow that made it easy to read. The premise is intriguing and had me hooked from the very first page. I thought the idea of witching and summoning spirits was quite fascinating and I wanted to know more about it. The plot is fast-paced and full of action. The mystery, suspense, and danger had me holding my breath a few times and I absolutely loved it!

The characters are so well written and realistic. I liked Allie from the start and I understood her reasons for doing what she did. Cody is very caring and kind that seeing him so guilt-ridden was distressing. Both Allie and Cody are dealing with their own losses and struggling with grief that my heart completely broke for them. It just seemed so right that they would find comfort in each other. While there was an instant attraction between Allie and Cody, I thought their chemistry felt genuine and real. Watching them help each other heal and develop a playful and sweet relationship was so satisfying. Their bantering and flirting made me smile and swoon so much.... instalove or not, I totally ship Allie and Cody and I rooted for them the entire time. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love that Summoner is not your typical young adult paranormal romance. There’s definitely the supernatural fantasy aspect, the mysterious hard to resist hot guy, and plenty of adorable flirting. BUT more than that, this book deals with difficult real life issues. Grimm does a terrific job portraying the sadness of losing someone you love and the agony of living with guilt. She shows how healing and learning to forgive yourself are not that easy and will take time. I really wasn’t expecting this to be deeply affecting or heartbreaking, but that’s what makes this story brilliant and so powerful. And yes… I absolutely recommend that everyone pick this up!

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Our MC is Allie Billings who has avoided her closest friends since the death of her mother, trying to reconnect she joins them on a dare to the local cemetery for a night of witching. Allie doesn’t believe in witching but after this night her opinion changes when she becomes bonded to a evil spirit by summoning her soul.

The plot was engaging as we see Allie do everything she possibly can to learn more about what is happening but she soon finds out her only hope could be from her new neighbour Cody Burkhart, her guardian who is also needing to work out his role between Allie and the spirit, Katerina that has bonded to her. They both end up working against a full moon deadline which could mean a sacrifice by the end of it.

I really liked Allie and Cody as characters, they have both felt loss and were able to bond over this and their slow building romance didn’t feel forced but came naturally which I enjoyed; it also wasn’t at the forefront of the story. The side characters were each written well, the freaky souls included.

I don’t tend to read ghost books, I’ve never enjoyed them but I liked S.D Grimm’s writing style and her entertaining and at time freaky storyline. It was a fast paced read with a few twists that kept things enjoyable.

Overall, Summoner kept me riveted from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen; the characters were written well and the plot was intriguing. I will definitely read more books by this author. 

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Summoner.

I'm not usually a fan of ghost stories, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Grimm's writing style is very engaging, and the ghost appearances all gave hints to solving the mystery of how Allie became a Summoner and how the curse could be broken. Cody was a great male lead - sweet, vulnerable, and protective, plus he can cook :) I went back and forth about Allie. She had some really good moments, like the way she challenged Cody to allow himself to move beyond past tragedy. But she also could be too possessive of Cody at times, and seemed way too rushed to be more than friends so soon after they met. Despite my reservations about Allie, their relationship came to a very satisfying conclusion and I loved the overall themes of self-forgiveness and loving and living to the fullest.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*

Here's a link to this review on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VTLXLR8RSSZF/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B074SWLFVQ

A fast paced story, which had me bite my nails quite a few times. I hoped for the best, but it could have gone wrong and ended with more death in Allie's life. This book had it all to make for a success: a girl (sensitive and grieving her mom), a cute guy (cowboy style), girlfriends leading Allie into trouble and a ghost (evil and mad). And I really liked it from the start. I think it's a book for romantic readers as well as ghost stroy readers. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing!

The newest book by author S.D. Grimm is a combination of the paranormal and a young adult romance. This ain't your mama's scariest ghost tale but it does have some witching, divining, a spirit summoner and a guardian that might catch your interest. Grimm's coming of age story delves into some complex story elements, like inner demons and grief. Readers looking for something different as the fall season gets underway will find this title right up their creepy alley. 

What I liked:

S.D. Grimm is a new author for me, so I was, as usual, a bit skeptical going in. There are so many titles in the paranormal and fantasy genres that are repetitive and just run of the mill. Grimm does and excellent job of giving readers a refreshing take on an old staple, the ghost story. Divining for water, I've heard of, divining for bodies? That's a new one! 

I liked the whole cemetery scene in the beginning of the book a lot because it started showing the reader the world that Grimm was going to build. It introduced the reader to what a 'summoner' is and how it would effect the story. I thought Grimm did a great job getting the scary vibe going, but also in introducing the lead character, Allie.

Allie is a young girl dealing with the loss of her mother from Cancer. Unfortunately, something that has touched many of our own families. I thought Grimm's take on grief and loss was poignant and compelling. Survivor's guilt is a real thing no matter what type of situation it is. Grimm allows the reader to see inside Allie's struggle and how she eventually made it back to herself. I liked that the author didn't just sweep it under the rug. This is something that stays with you.

Allie finds out that her next door neighbor Cody may hold the key to getting her out of a potentially sticky situation with the spirit she divines completely by accident. Cody is a guardian and a very interesting one at that. He has his own inner demons and is dealing with life with a disability after losing his hand. I loved the fact that Grimm gives the reader an unorthodox hero. Cody may not seem like the perfect demon slayer but he shows that no matter your adversity you can overcome.

What I didn't like:

When I got this title to review I was expecting a spooky tale just in time for the fall season to begin. I tend to read titles that are a bit ghostly this time of year. Though this story started out that way, it became more of romance in the end than a paranormal tale. There was nothing wrong with the romance but I think it would have benefited from having the creepy factor ramped up a bit. 

In the beginning Allie is just becoming more active and inclusive with her friends again after the loss of her mother. Obviously grief changes you. She was taking her life back and she had people in it that mattered to her. Unfortunately, that got a little lost as the story went on and we heard nothing about her friends and more and more about just Cody. I wanted some back story on the people she had in her life. I wanted them to play a bigger more important role than just the first scene of the book.

Bottom Line:

This was a good story. The romance is sweet and tender and I liked both the male and female lead. I loved the way the author handled the ideas of grief and inner demons. Her use of an unorthodox and compelling hero was very well done. But I wanted a little more creep for my buck. Ghosts are scary.Don't let me forget about that along the way. Wish the momentum from the first scene in the graveyard had carried throughout the tale. And if you introduce me to someone as a side character, I want them to have a place in the story. I don't want to wonder if they are going to appear anywhere else in the story, I want to know they will.

I don't read a whole lot of young adult paranormal romance anymore, but reading the description of this book I had to admit it was intriguing. I enjoyed it, but maybe the fact that I am a little burned out in this genre played a part in that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I'd hoped. 

I felt that the author's writing was really good, the scenes made me feel like I was there experiencing them with my own senses. I am not a fan of Insta love, and I have to say I wasn't crazy about the love interest. Personally, I like the build up and I like men a little more alpha.

That being said, I did enjoy this and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good ghost story just in time for Halloween! Thank you to Entangled Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 Stars

'Summoner' was a great YA paranormal read with lots of romance mixed in for good measure. I really enjoyed the entire story, although I have to admit that quite a few parts were predictable. Even though I kind of knew what was going to happen, I still had fun getting to know Allie and watching the story unfold from her perspective. I'm a huge fan of paranormal fiction, especially anything having to do with witches or other mystical powers. I really loved learning about witching and summoning - I found it all intriguing. As for the romance aspect of the book, I normally don't care much for it. A lot of the time it seems to overrun the actual plot of the book and take away from the main story line. I didn't feel that way with Allie and Cody though. I liked watching them meet, become friends and confidants, and then seeing their relationship blossom into more. It was a great addition to the plot and only enhanced it, in my opinion. Overall, even though a lot of the book was predictable and had been done before, I liked this book much more than I anticipated. It was spooky with a sweet romance mixed in and made for a quick and fun read.

This book is one that kept me on my toes. Great Job to S.D. Grimm for an awesome book

Sometimes YA is just what is needed to get into the thrill again because of its different pace and focus. This author got me from the get go reminding me of some of the things we used to do in sleepovers thinking they were innocent while this story shows different. Though this is no sleepover the game is there with Allie and her friends. Along also comes Cody who is one interesting character who gets our attention too. Working together they will take us on quite the journey. Not the norm in storyline you are pulled into this too so wishing you could help with the answers too. The drama that is woven in with the characters gives us reading pleasure that is unexpected.

Received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review from Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley.
The Summoner was a wonderful book to get into the Halloween mood. Evil spirits trying to take over and a sweet romance make this book a great paranormal read! Allie was grieving after the loss of her mother a few months earlier. She has mostly removed herself from her friends, but one night decides to reconnect with them. They decide to play a game called “witching” in a graveyard.  This game causes spirits to show themselves to Allie. One spirt in particular has attached herself to Allie and we have to wonder what the intentions of this spirit are. I really loved the background story of the spirit, it was well thought out. The other aspect of the book I really appreciated was the relationship between Allie and Cody. Their friendship was very sweet and the slow way they grew to trust each other was very believable for two people who were closed off.  Overall, this book was a quick read that is perfect for paranormal lovers everywhere.

Grimm provides these characters that draw you into the story with this emotional depth and chemistry that feels so real you almost believe it’s tangible. You get a romance angle between a couple of them but it’s not done in that oft irritating YA way, this felt more like a slow burn who wanted to enjoy the ride. I liked that she didn’t just play off the love at first sight trope that seems almost a requirement in YA novels by having them fall all over each other at minute one but rather have them take longer steps to get to know each other, be more responsible about it.

My only irritation with her character work was the minor roles that seemed to only exist as filler or to help her main characters behavioral choices make sense. She writes really good characters so you want to know more about these people but they’re dangled in front of you then pulled back before you get a chance to connect.

Her plot is spooky enough to cause a chill to poke at your spine and goosebumps raise across your arms. She gets into your head and you start running through all the scenarios of what if this was real, what if you were involved, what if souls could crossover?

I know I already brought up the romance thing earlier but I just have to give Grimm a HIGH FIVE again for not falling into the trap practically every book in the YA genre does when it comes to romance. If there’s an aware out there for a writer FINALLY creating a decent relationship in this genre please give it here.

Now that the calendar (if not the weather) is starting to inch toward fall, I've been craving some darker, spookier reads. When I read the summary for Summoner, I wanted to read it as soon as I saw the words "witching" and "summon their souls." Summoner proved to be an interesting read, if not quite as creepy and scary as I was hoping for. It read more as young adult contemporary romance with a hint of paranormal.

The story begins as Allie and her friends go "witching" in a graveyard on a dare. Allie ends up getting more than she bargained for as she accidentally summons the souls of the dead. Unfortunately, one of them wants revenge and needs Allie's assistance, whether or not Allie is willing to help her. Luckily, the new boy next door might just be more than he seems. Cody has just moved from Montana after an accident that cost him his hand and left him with demons of his own to battle.

The part I liked the best about this book was the detail. I loved how much depth the author included  in the world-building. The concept of Summoners was explained really well and I liked how the truth was slowly revealed. The conversations with the ghosts were some of my favorite parts of the novel. Additionally, I hadn't expected the novel to delve so deeply into some of the themes that it did, such as loss and grief. I thought that the author did an excellent job of showing Allie and Cody's battles with their own inner demons. The characters were both likeable and I was really rooting for them to conquer their fears.

The graveyard scene at the beginning of the book set my expectations quite high for the creepy factor of the rest of the book. However, this book wasn't as atmospheric or spooky after that scene, which left me a little disappointed. Most of the plot revolved around Allie's day-to-day life and how she slowly grew closer to Cody. Even though it had some aspects that I liked, I didn't like their romance as a whole. The progression from strangers to friends to more seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. Most of their interactions were focused around the graveyard and Allie's insistence on going back there, which didn't really allow me to see the chemistry between them. Additionally, while I understand that her grief changed her, I didn't like that Allie's friends essentially disappeared from the story once she met Cody.

While there were a few things that bugged me, Summoner was an intriguing mix of paranormal and contemporary young adult romance. It's a good fall read that has just the right amount of creepy if you're not looking for a truly spooky novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Summoner by S.D. Grimm.  Divining rods, a cemetery and a dare open the story. Allie's new next door neighbor, Cody, is nice and is dealing with the aftereffects of an accident. Cody's reluctant to discuss the accident and Allie eventually finds out why. For some reason, Allie is hearing a voice, blacks out and acts strange while she's hearing the voice that no one else hears. It's embarrassing her and she doesn't want to tell anyone about the voice. Cody and Allie bond a friendship and more, become best friends and help each other with the struggles they're both dealing with. The two of them fight together to end the existence of an evil that wants to conquer them. 4 stars for this romantic supernatural read.

Now that it’s finally starting to get a bit cooler out, I’m getting in the fall spirit. I want to surround myself in all things pumpkin spice and fall. This also means I’m starting to crave darker and spookier books, which means it was the perfect time to read Summoner. I mean, you open this book in a graveyard. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Allie is trying to get into the swing of things again, as she kind of withdrew herself from everyone when her mother died. One of my favorite aspects of this story was the portrayal of grief and how losing someone close to you can drastically change you as a person. This wasn’t just a paranormal romance, it was a story of teens dealing with grief and loss, and how that kind of tragedy can affect someone’s life.

I ~am~ a sucker for anything paranormal, so that’s what initially drew me to this title. The paranormal aspects of this story are so well done. I was actually pretty creeped out at multiple spots in this story. The beginning scene with Allie and her friends “witching” in a graveyard did an awesome job of setting the tone for the entire story.

All in all, the writing was easy to read with a nice flow, and the story was decently fast paced. I highly recommend this title to anyone looking for a little bit of spookiness in their lives now that we’re entering the fall season. I give it four out of five stars.

Allie finds herself at the cemetery with her friends, a harmless dare to use a metal coat hanger to go Witching for the dead. Everyone takes their turn, enjoying the spooky element, but when Allie has her turn, something seems off and Allie hears a voice crying out for her to help. None of her friend heard the call, so Allie figures it was her imagination, but when strange things keep happening to her, there may not be an easy answer. Lucky for Allie, she has a new neighbor who may just be the person willing to help her discover the truth.

I have been so lucky recently in my book choices since I have enjoyed pretty much every book I have read and this is no exception. I love the cover and the synopsis was alluring and mysterious enough that I knew I was going to read this story at the first opportunity I got. I really loved this story and was instantly sucked into Allie's world, right from the moment she was wondering the cemetery with her friends. The story had so many elements and twists and turns I was not sure where the story would end up but the ride was so worth it. Expect a completely new type of ghost story, one that was slightly reminiscent of the stuff I grew up on by Mary Downing Hahn, with creepy ghosts and lies but in a much more adult way that grabbed me and refused to let go. 

I had no idea the level of feels that the story would draw out of me! I expected some ghosty stuff and probably some scary encounters, but the fact the story places such a big emphasis on loss and the feelings of grief felt so real that I was swept up in them. This was not your average ghost story, but instead a large portion of the book dealt with overcoming loss, be it a person or a physical attribute, and how to figure out how to keep going. I was completely caught off guard by the intensity of the emotions that Allie feels that S.D. made me feel right along with her, at one point I had to put the book down because I was in public and I was not super interested in being teary-eyed around strangers. It made perfect sense why Allie would be drawn to the idea of communicating with the dead, and her struggle to make the right choice for everyone was painful. And since we are on the topic of emotions, the fear that S.D. brought to the table was impressive. Each encounter Allie had with the spirits raised goosebumps on my arms and had me on the edge of my seat for fear of what would happen. The story was creepy and that filled me with joy because I am a sucker for a good scare. The whole ghost limb thing was awesome! I can't say much in case of spoiling anything, but bravo to S.D., super cool idea and I loved how you executed it!

So let's spend a second and talk about how freaking romantic this story was! We start the book with Allie and her ex having an awkward talking about him for sure being her ex and then she meets Cody and is drawn to everything about him. But then here comes the ex to ruin the love and I was super concerned that I was going to encounter a love triangle- but don't worry, no love triangle present in this story. I could not have been happier with how the romance progressed, with Cody and Allie becoming friends, and then good friends before anything romantic occurred- no insta-love here, instead a slow developing bond between two people who got to know each other before romance was even an option. Every encounter was full of tension and character development, as well as personal healing- the two were able to help each other becomes the people they were suppose to be. It was dreamy, no lie, and spoke to my inner romantic.

Summoner was the perfect blend of spooky, mysterious and romantic and I loved it. S.D. ended the book in the best possible way, seriously I could not ask for more, but I kinda sorta wish there was more, be it another book or even an extra chapter because it is really hard to part from Allie and Cody. This story was even better than my high expectations and I am pretty sure I will force everyone I know to read it because there is a little bit of something for everyone wrapped in the pages. This was my first book by S.D. Grimm, but for certain it will not be my last. Lesson learned: just say no when anyone asks you to go Witching.

I received this title for review purposes. Come visit my blog http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ to participate in the book's tour

I have fond memories of the short-lived TV show The Secret Circle - I had just moved when it started and used to DM about it after every show with my friend back home. The beginning of Summoner gave me some major Secret Circle vibes, tapping into some of that nostalgic good will. Which is not to say that the kids in Summoner are all witches or form a coven, just that the idea of the girl who just lost her mom and the new guy in town felt familiar. And I could easily picture them on screen.

Summoner is actually a ghost story with some spooky, horrific moments, but it's the romance that really takes center stage. Allie and Cody have both lost someone close to them and are just starting to have a "normal" life again. In Cody's case, he's also dealing with a prosthetic hand and the stigma that carries in high school. I liked the way that was handled and how it played into the paranormal part of the story. And I really enjoyed the romance plot.

However, there were parts of the paranormal story that I wish had been better developed. For example, Allie's history teacher begins a lesson on local history that helps her identify the ghost that's haunting her but we never hear about it after that scene. I think exploring that would have made the ghost story more compelling, as well as enhanced that spooky small town feel which I love.

And (possibly because I started out thinking of The Secret Circle) I wanted Allie's friends to be more involved in the paranormal side, maybe plotting against her or hiding something. Once she gets involved with Cody and the ghost, her friends and school don't come up much.

Still, I enjoyed Summoner and finished it in a single day. If you're looking for a YA romance with a touch of paranormal, you might want to give a try.

3.5 stars

September and October always bring out the need to find books that I can curl up around an imaginary campfire, bring out the fuzzy sweaters, sip some tea I don’t even like, and read a ton of ghostie novels. I love me some ghostie novels, and up until Halloween, I try to read as many of them as I can. This book was the absolute perfect way to begin the fall season books, and it was a lot of fun!

First, I loved the premise of this book. It was something slightly different in the ghost story genre. I loved the idea of witching and accidentally summoning a presence that you can’t control. It was also super intriguing about the idea of the guardian, which I hadn’t seen in a ghost story before. I was super intrigued throughout the whole story as to where this would go next and what would happen.

The romance was really sweet as well. Okay, I will warn you – it is super instalove. However, it was instalove done sort of right? Well, if that makes any sense. I kept going, well, I know this is instalove, but I really like this two together and they’re so sweet that I’m just going to say forget about the madness I should be feeling over it and JUST LOVE THE SHIP. And it ended up working out because I really did enjoy the ship, and Cody was just a sweetheart! P.S. The summary sounds like he might be “saving” her from her grief – but really he does help her through it – no “saving” involved.

I also really did like Allie. She was a great heroine, and I understood her motives and liked her for them. She is struggling with her grief, and she really does take a lot of accountability for what she does. She solves her own problems, and I was so rooting for her throughout the story.

Grimm also has a natural writing ability, and the atmosphere she created was wonderful. It felt like I was reading this book on a chilly, fall night on Halloween. The mood and setting was wonderful, and if you’re looking for a quick, breezy read to get you into the holiday spirit, this is the book!

The only reason I knocked off a crown is for the clicheness at parts. I could predict quite a few things that happened and while I did enjoy the instalove, it still was instalove. However, this was a really enjoyable novel and I was super invested until the very last moment. This book got the season off right, and I’m so now in the mood for lots of ghosties and Halloween books. Four crowns and an Ariel rating!

Safe to say I will never be going witching! 🙈 

A group of teenagers.. a cemetery..witching rods.. nighttime.. yeah nothing is going to go wrong there!

So Allie basically figures out that a ghost has been summoned by her and is now connected to her in some way. What she doesn't know is how to break this connection before herself or someone she loves is killed by this ghost.. who of course wants a way back to the land of the living.. 

Allie comes away from this late night witching session to not only find out she's been bonded to a ghost but also that she has a cute new neighbour.. 
I love Codys character, I love how he is different from the usual male lead because of his backstory and the fact he only has one hand. I think it was such a clever and original idea to give one of the leads an impairment like that and make it fit the character and the story so well! 
I do think their relationship was slightly rushed and how they were talking about being his girlfriend and love etc before they'd even kissed.. but I suppose if you have to fit a whole relationship into one book it's probably going to be a bit rushed.  

Really good book.. I wish it had been more fleshed out and turned into a series or something though! That would of been cool 💜

Copy provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for honest review.

I LOVED the plot because seriously, a dare in a cemetery? that’s just how the best stories (or nightmares, if you wish) begin.

The book was great, I love paranormal and anything to do with witches, ghosts and all that fun stuff right there. I also really liked how much more to it there was beside the paranormal aspects, how the characters’ losses and survival where such a fundamental aspect in the evolution of the story and of the characters.

This wasn’t just a silly story about ghosts but something deeper which was what made the story really stand out for me.

I liked both characters, with all their flaws and qualities; at the beginning, I was a bit sceptic and didn’t understand why Allie was putting up with her friends but I just had to keep reading and I really found myself liking her personality more more. Same goes for Cody, I liked his character and his story really broke my heart.

They both have a similar past and in my opinion, that alone would have brought them together but adding to the mix some ghosts really created a great story. I loved how their relationship helped both of them, making them so stronger and capable to deal with their losses.

The book was a good read and I also surprisingly liked the author’s style (this was my first book from this author and I can be very picky). If you love paranormal stories that also handle some deeper contents, this is the right book for you.

What a great read! It was just the right book to review as we head into autumn and towards Halloween - my favourite holiday.  I love a good ghost story, in fact if I had one criticism, it would be that the book could have been a wee bit darker and scarier. Other than that, I found it to be an engaging and entertaining read, and I absolutely love the cover.