I love the reversal of the Beauty and the Beast theme: she is the beast, and instead of him taming her, she is on a mission to unleash the beast in him. And ratchet it up to paranormal levels. The prose is solid, grammatically correct (surprisingly rare these days!), engaging, and fast paced. A little too fast, as far as Rain and his raging attraction to a high school girl he barely knows. For other readers there may be no such thing as too much sex too soon in this relationship, but for me, the slow burn wasn't slow enough. Teen readers need no encouragement from novels that show a hookup mentality dressed up as true love. 

Rain is an intriguing character, a high school senior who's never stayed long in any one school and spends most of his days on the streets, dodging gangs, surviving, avoiding the police, living in homeless shelters with his mother. When she dies suddenly,it's not as if he couldn't see that one coming.  The surprise is that she had an identical twin, his aunt, who has stepped forward to be his legal guardian. Oh, and she's a cop. In a small town.

His first day of school is not as easy a street-wise, city-tough guy might expect. The wild girl with the pale blue eyes and long hair catches his eye, but the three guys who surround Freddy like pack dogs, they're trouble. Gradually, we learn more about her connection to these bullies and to another antagonist who fluctuates between friend and foe. Nothing is what it seems, as Rain soon learns, and though he gets all the classic warnings to steer clear of these people, there's not a chance he's going to do that.

Murdered fathers. A sketchy police chief. Suspicious hardware store owners who hire Rain for a part-time work but seem to have another agenda. A pesky old lady who's always seeing things in the dark and calling the police to assure her she's safe - well, is she really safe? Rain sees things his aunt the cop apparently does not.

The novel started well, but it went south around the time Rain goes all the way with Freddie. The macabre and mysterious people of the town start revealing their true colors, and the novel turns into a tale of shape shifters, with an intriguing subplot connecting 17th century Germans burned at the stake with Native American legends of a local landmark known as Enchanted Rock.

I started skimming when the villains and fight scenes got underway. And kept speed-reading. At 60 percent in, I was ready for the novel to wrap up, but the battles and betrayals and surprises kept coming. The ending is gratifying, but getting there was grueling. Blood and bone, battered bodies, gruesome wounds. Fans of the genre will love it. I prefer the part where Rain is finally feeling a sense of home with his Aunt Ruby.

The less-wholesome aspects of the novel (sex, profanity) kept reminding me of the Twilight trilogy, and how refreshing it was that Edward and Bella waited for the wedding night. Yes, I'm a grandma, not the intended audience of a YA novel, and I would love to find a "cozy mystery" that's as raw and engrossing as this novel, which was less wholesome than I would like. Just when I think "wholesome" is the literary kiss of death, I find myself wanting a bit more of it in my fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for an advance review copy.

Entangled: Teen and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Haven. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Rain Ryland is used to being mostly on his own. After moving to New Wurzburg, living with an aunt that he does not know, will meeting Friederike Burkhart change his life in ways that he did not think possible?

Although I am a huge fan of the printed word, some books are better viewed than read. Haven is one of those books, as there are so many characters involved. I like the fact that female main character is the one with all of the strength, both body and mind, but the plot does not hold up. From the outset, I question why the beginning is even part of the story. The background with Rain's mother could have been woven into the plot in a better way, in my opinion. There is just too much going on that is not central to the plot and gets in the way of the story. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Haven to other readers.

A beauty & the best retelling where Beauty IS the beast! So fast paced and loved this story. The tension filled tale was exactly what I needed!

I am giving this a 2.5. This is a YA beauty and the beast retelling with werewolves so I was very excited. I loved the idea of a female “beast” and alpha shifter. The execution didn’t quite work the way I hoped. Freddie only rarely came across as alpha. Rain was an interesting character and I really felt their chemistry. The sexual tension was written explicitly but then it became face to black which seemed like an odd combination (explicit sexual words to show the tension but then the reader doesn’t get the pay off of seeing what happens). I was annoyed more than I wasn’t by how long things took to be revealed but I was invested enough to read the whole book.

Quick & Dirty: Dark paranormal with hints of The Lost Boys (just not vampires), a murder mystery and romance that is easily one of my favorite reads of the years so far.

The Review: 
Haven by Mary Lindsey is a novel that reminds me why I love paranormal and urban fantasy type stories! Honestly, I would never have picked this story up because I am such a cover snob but I am so glad I got the opportunity to review Haven. The decision was primarily made because Jennifer L. Armentrout was blurbed so I knew I had to read it. I got a Lost Boys vibe while reading Haven which only made me enjoy it all the more.
Haven is told entirely through Rain’s third person point of view. The beginning of Haven finds Rain being forced to move to a small town in Texas after his mother dies. He is sent to live with an aunt that he didn’t even know existed. Rain has been homeless all his life so he’s really worried about how things will change with stability. As soon as Rain arrives in town, he realizes there is something off with New Wurzberg. As school, he is immediately mesmerized by the strange pale-eyed Friederike. Later that evening, Rain discovers a terrified Freddie hiding in a barn, acting nothing like the girl he saw at school.

Rain can’t get enough of Freddie no matter how much she tries to push him away. He knows Freddie is mixed up in something strange but she won’t tell him what. Rain gets drawn into a strange world where he seems to know nothing but the townsfolk seem to know all about him. Rain doesn’t just sit back though, he searches for answers no matter how painful they are. Freddie tries to shield him from the town’s dark secret but it isn’t enough. Unbeknownst to Rain, he doesn’t realize that he’s already been chosen and that Fred doesn’t get a say.

 “Sometimes Beauty is the Beast…” applies to Freddie and the beast that she is hiding in comparison to Rain always being judged as a beast because of his size. I really loved both of these characters especially Rain. He has always felt so alone even when he was with is mother that when he finally gets a bit of stability he doesn’t want to let it go. Freddie is the tough girl who is secretly falling apart inside after her father’s murder but she can’t let that weakness show. I think she was a little too pushy/rude at times especially after she would give Rain mixed signals.

At one point, I got a real Lost Boys vibe. Rain is Michael with his starstruck, oh-my-god, she’s so awesome feelings towards Freddie aka Star. Fred tries to push Rain away while her trio of friends try to push Rain into their strange circle. The guys kept trying to initiate Rain into something he couldn’t quite comprehend at first. Rain then turns into Sam trying to investigate the strange paranormal happenings. The only difference is that Rain isn’t trying to destroy the supernatural like Sam tried to destroy the vampires to save his brother. Rain doesn’t have that support system. He’s just trying to make sure his aunt stays alive.

The main supernatural element is stuff we’ve seen before but the mix and backstory are what made this story. Haven is a YA book but honestly it could have easily been an adult book but, on that note, there isn’t anything graphic except for some horror style killing. There is plenty of teenage angst. Haven was such a dark story with plenty of suspense that I never wanted to put this book down and when I inevitably did I couldn’t wait to pick it back up.

I *also* got this book from Page Habit in one of their boxes, so I have both versions.  I decided to save the PH version for a potential re-read, and I'm glad that I did since I enjoyed it and I think that would help in re-reading (which can be sometimes hit or miss for me).  

I wasn't sure of what to expect really when I picked it up, but it didn't take long before I was sitting there just saying, "Wolves, they're werewolves." over and over to myself.  

As is extremely common for me, my favorite character is a side character.  I would like another book just entirely about her please and thank you.

I tried. I really did, but I got 65% in and just lost all interest. Well, I never actually had interest after what was going on in that town was revealed, but I wanted to like it because I like the author so I kept going, hoping it would get good again. No such luck. Siiigh.

I loved Twilight and I wanted to love this book as well.  For me, it fell short.  The dialogue was cheesy at times and hard to enjoy.  The supernatural part was too confusing and detailed.  They tried to make a new supernatural world but I felt it was too confusing to be believable.

The ending was especially confusing with many of the characters changing their alliances.  I began to lose interest.

If you are not a big fan of the supernatural world you won’t love this book.  I don’t think the romance portion of the book is enough to make the book an enjoyable read.  Just an average read in my opinion.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked that the point of view Rain, for Haven was male and I really liked that he ended up being human and the female love interest was the supernatural one. This story started out a little slow in terms of pacing, but by about 1/3 of the way in Mary Lindsey had me.

I loved how the story developed and the world-building throughout, however  I was never really 100% hooked. Maybe if we had a dual POV and had been able to see things from Freddie’s perspective as well it would have made the book feel more complete?

I don’t know. I really enjoyed this Haven, but at the same time…can’t say that I loved it or would really recommend it. I was obviously left with mixed feelings on this one.

Haven by Mary Lindsey thoroughly entertained but didn’t leave me itching for book 2.

Though I liked the book, I made the decision at the time I finished not to review it on my site. Maybe in the future I will include it in a book list post or another article.

Haven was a wonderful read I couldn't put it down and it captivated me through all of the book and wanting more until the very end.

Rain used to live moving from town to town, from city to city. Sometimes on the streets, and sometimes in a shelter with his mom. But when his mom turns up dead, his whole life shifts as he is moved to a small town with an aunt he has never even heard of.
He is drawn to this girl- Freddie, who is different from everyone else- not just because she can hold her own either. But there is more to this little town, and Freddie than meets the eye. And Rain slowly uncovers this towns, and Freddie's secrets- and it definitely wasn't what he was expecting at all, putting his life, and those he cares about in danger. Now he needs to make a choice, which may cost not only his life, but anyone else he may care about. Does he run away, or does he fight for what he believes in?
I give Haven 4⭐ out of 5⭐. It was a great read, putting a different spin on similar supernatural books.

I really wanted to love this book. I thought it was such a unique take on the classic story of "girl falls in love with a beast" by swapping the gender roles, and I was totally here for the idea of what I expected to be a full role reversal.

If the "alpha male" trope is up your alley, this might be the perfect YA version of that for you, but I found myself cringing every other time he opened his mouth.The female main character also made me sigh on multiple occasions. Like, yes, you have a secret.. now can you just tell us?!

So if you are looking for a YA read with mystery, wolves, hints of romance, and a fly-through story, I highly recommend this one!

It took me a long time to read this book and frankly it’s because I just didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. It was just ok for me. The writing wasn’t terrible but I just didn’t connect with the main character and found him very contradictory. He acts like he’s some super hero to females but then also says saving them and seeing their exposed bodies keep him up all night thinking about them. It kinda grossed me out. Like there was an alterior motive. Also the book just didn’t mesh very well with me. The fantasy elements with the small town and the characters just didn’t flow how I would like them to.

I think Haven is well executed within its goals and premise, the plot just didn’t end up going in the direction I was anticipating and ended up  not suiting my tastes. I had a hard time getting attached to any of the characters or too invested in their lives/the plot in general—but I think other readers intrigued by the premise probably have a fifty fifty shot at really loving it!

I wa surprised by how much I enjoyed this! It was unique and oh so good! I ADORED Rain!

I feel guilty about DNF-ing this book. It came, unexpectedly, with a fancy package filled with confetti, a mug, candy, and other treats. So, in deference to materialism, of which I am always a sucker, I dropped everything and started reading Haven.

Unfortunately, Haven was written a few years too late for me. Had this been written during the Twilight craze, Haven would have been a smash hit. The characters are generally good people and it was easy to care about them. There's a heavy dose of "lost puppy, adoptive loving family" syndrome, and I'm a sucker for that. The paranormal aspects were typical, but in a good way. The teen angst was heavy, including a fairly prominent romance that would have likely had me swooning ten years ago.

Maybe I'm too old for this story. Maybe the Twilight craze is too far in the past. Whatever the reason, Haven seemed like a good book that I have generally positive feelings for and very little interest in actually reading at this point in my life. Readers who are still searching for the next Twilight should definitely check out Haven.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I just couldn’t get into this lust fest. It felt far too formulaic to me. Can we all just move on from the werewolf genre for a while?

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for the review copy!

It’s hard to know just what to say about Haven. It’s not a bad book, per se, but I felt like it never lived up to its potential, and there was nothing to make this paranormal romance stand out from its peers.

The novel begins when Aaron “Rain” Ryland moves in with his estranged aunt after his mother’s unexpected death. Rain, a big-city kid used to living on the streets and in homeless shelters, fending off street gangs, and eating out of dumpsters, is vaguely amused when the denizens of his aunt’s sleepy little town start acting strangely, even hostilely, towards him. He finds it weird, but not particularly troubling. After all, Rain’s faced off with thugs and gang bangers; what harm can a few country bumpkins possibly do?

A lot, as it turns out. Because there’s more to this little town than meets the eye – namely, gruesome murders, hidden agendas, and a magical secret society.

Titillating as that might sound, I had a really hard time staying invested in Haven. It took me multiple tries to read, and at one point I made it as far as 70% of the way through the book before once again abandoning it for several months. To be perfectly honest, I would have left it as a “did not finish” except that I’d requested Haven through Netgalley and didn’t think it was fair to just give up.

One of the reasons I had a hard time with Haven was Freddie, the fierce and rebellious teenage girl at the heart of the town’s various intrigues. Rain is immediately drawn to Freddie’s wildness, and the more she tries to push him away (in classic Edward-and-Bella fashion), the more stubbornly Rain insists on sticking by her. It’s instalove – or at least instalust – at its finest, though I couldn’t understand what Rain finds so compelling about Freddie. (Perhaps the fact that she randomly shows up naked in unexpected places and lets him jump her in a supply closet at school from time to time? Who knows.) She lacks the charisma and depth that I look for in a heroine/love interest, and I just wasn’t feeling the relationship between her and Rain.

Rain himself is interesting enough, thank goodness. His upbringing – living with a drug-addicted mother who blamed him for ruining her life, constantly dodging law enforcement and criminals alike, never knowing where his next meal was going to come from – grants him a unique perspective that’s a refreshing change from other male protagonists I’ve read about.

“On the streets, it seemed like he had nothing to live for. Now, for the first time in his life, he had something to die for.”

As far as the plot and world building, there’s a lot of potential that’s never fully realized. There are some clever rules to the magic in the story, and important roles that the townspeople play in keeping said magic under control, but I feel the author could have gone a lot farther with all of it. Also, a lot of the plot points are predictable, and the “bad guys” feel cartoonish and unoriginal. Despite a promising setting, a decent protagonist, and some fun sexy times, Haven just didn’t do it for me.