This is a perfect summer book for a teenager!

I on the other hand, it nearly was a DNF.

I'm not going to talk about the cons. Pros!

As always with first books in a series, they have a bit of a slow start. It got better as you went, but the tempo never really picked up. The format was nice. It has a really good story in it, if you like the instalove with a bad boy that's good?

I loved the setting. Scotland. Pretty much all I need to say about that, because, Scotland. I found the main character, Maren, interesting. She's portrayed as intelligent and she's got this thing for solving puzzles. The story's well-written and the plot kept me turning pages, but I couldn't get on-board with the romance. Insta-love. Sure he's dreamy and whatnot, but the oh-my-God-so-many-feels drama was too over the top for me. Hopefully, the next installment will have less swooning and more action.

Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean is Hush, Hush meets The Da Vinci Code in this fun and enjoyable YA read perfect for those who love adventure, romance and mystery.

Seventeen year old Maren Hamilton’s mother has just died, and having no other relatives, Maren finds herself moving from her home in Missouri, USA to Scotland to live with the parents of the father who died before her birth. Heartbroken and alone, Maren struggles to get over her recent loss when she receives an encrypted journal from her late mother full of clues only Maren can understand. Piecing together the clues confirm that both her parents worked for a secret organisation tied to the supernatural and both their deaths were not the accidents they appeared. Along with the mysterious and swoon-worthy Gavin who sets her heart on fire, Maren sets out to find out the truth about her mother’s death, but with Gavin hiding his own secrets, Maren is about to discover that nothing is what it seems and there’s a battle going on between good and evil that will change her world forever.

Lurching her readers straight into the thick of things, Heather Maclean details Toward a Secret Sky through the eyes of Maren, a likable and easy to follow character who has a strong backbone and a thirst for the truth. Set in the beautiful Scottish countryside, Toward a Secret Sky features a lush setting and adorable cast of characters who bring Maclean’s world to life. Personally I loved that this story was set in Scotland—I’m a lover of all things Scottish and Irish, and enjoyed being able to get a taste of Scotland through Maren’s eyes.

Without giving away spoilers, I have to say I thought it was a sweet and interesting take on the supernatural beings featured in Toward a Secret Sky. Heather Maclean features beings we’ve all doubt seen before and gives them a roguish and Scottish twist as well as giving them a nice family base with the villages and individuals we get to meet. I’m hoping this is only the first of many interactions with them and we’ll get to explore their world and hierarchy’s the in future. Seeing as how the novel ended, I can only imagine we’ll have a chance get to uncover and experience the Abbey in the next novel as well as Gavin’s people.

Full of forbidden romance and chemistry thanks to Maren’s love interest in the form of the cheeky, but sexy Gavin, Toward a Secret Sky is good solid YA reading that will entertain readers and leaving them excited to see how Heather Maclean plans to expand on the series after the thrilling ending of this first stellar instalment.

I really couldn’t tell you what made me want to read this book. Maybe the gorgeous cover in blues and purples with a flower that is in a Celtic knot. Perhaps it was the title: Toward a secret sky. It has quite the mysterious ring to it. Sounds like a true adventure book.

The books opens with Maren, the main character, burying her mother after a “freak” accident. Maren doesn’t understand how it could happen. Her mother worked for a computer company. She had a safe job. Maren is alone now. Her father died before she was born. To say Maren is devastated is an understatement. She is orphaned. As she is burying her mother the wind howls and there is an unearthly screech. The priest runs away in terror and three men in suits vanish. Maren assumes that it is a tornado but little does she know. Sent to live with her father’s parents in Aviemore, Scotland. Grandparents she has never even meet because they did not agree with the marriage of her parents. She feels utterly lost. Once she gets over her initial melancholy, she decides to go for a walk across the street from the house. While she is walking she encounters Gavin. Little does she know that Gavin is an angel and he will change her life in ways she never thought possible. She also meets a girl named Jo at the bakery counter in the local grocery store and they become best friends. Jo helps her dress for her first day at high school. She meets Anders Campbell, the local Lord. His family is very rich and has a huge house. Maren and Jo get invited to Anders birthday party. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. Jo tells Maren she has never been invited to the party before. While there, Jo gets a text that her Grandma had a stroke. She hurriedly exits the party leaving Maren alone with Graham, Anders cousin. Suddenly, Maren feels horrible, drunk, giggly. She realizes later that she was roofied at the party. It’s not until a few days later that she learns Jo is in serious condition at the local hospital. She finds out that Jo’s Grandma was perfectly fine and Jo lied to her. She has to find the antidote to help save her best friend. Will Gavin help her find it before it’s too late? Will Gavin toss aside all the angel rules to save Maren?

First off, the reason I only gave it 4 stars. The book didn’t get “good” until a little bit past 52%. That is a lot of book to read before anything spectacular happens. The other reason is that is really is a YA book. I knew it is a YA book to begin with. Sometimes, though, they teeter on the edge of YA and a little older than YA. The book was simply written and easy to understand. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. There is romance (a clean teenager romance) and friendship though there is a fair amount of death. If you are getting it for youngsters, there are important lessons about learning to love family members you haven’t even met. But more importantly, there is action and adventure. I will admit that I wasn’t entirely sure about this book as I read it. I started it with a 3 star rating and when I ended I had upped the ante to 4. I will certainly be on the lookout for the next two books in the series that the author has already said are coming. I have got to find out what happens to Maren and Gavin on their adventures.

Absolutely loved this book, and I can see many of my students loving it too. I will definitely recommend it, and I cannot wait for the sequel.

It's been a while since I've read an angel/demon themed book, it's a welcome change to my usual books! I enjoyed the fact there's no love triangle (a welcome break from the cliche) and, though it took a while for Maren to grow into a less flat character, I enjoyed the book as the plot unfolded. The ending however is heartbreaking so there better be a second book!

I was pleasantly surprised by what a great book with an intriguing story line this turned out to be. Sometimes I pick up a YA novel and just struggle the whole time to connect to the characters and get into it, but this one was different. I liked Maren, the main character right away and feeling close to her led me to enjoy the rest of the book. There is a bit of a Twilight feel to this--especially when one considers how Maren feels during the absence of her love interest, but it was different enough that it didn't feel like a copy.

There is plenty of action in this novel to keep you going and the romance is sweet, but not overdone--as in it doesn't take centre focus on every page of the book. I liked the way the author portrayed the secondary characters as well. No one felt like useless padding and everyone served a clearly defines purpose within the story.

I am looking forward to seeing where she goes with this series, and to reading the next book. If you want a book that will keep you busy for hours and make you feel things--this is a good one to choose. The descriptions were lovely, the story was exciting and the ending made me want more.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Toward a Secret Sky was a book that sounded extremely promising to me. I was so excited to dive into a paranormal book with mystery, action, spies, and romance. Unfortunately, I felt like this book did not deliver on all those aspects.

My favorite thing about this book was the setting. I love Scotland, and I was so excited to read a book set in Scotland. The author did a fantastic job at describing Scotland. I felt like I was transported there! I really appreciated how much work the author put into the setting of this book. I thought the paranormal world the author created was interesting and fun to learn about. The world she created added a lot of mystery and excitement to the story. I also was not expecting how emotional this book was going to be, so I applaud the author for not being afraid to make some heartbreaking choices while writing this book.

I am a HUGE fan of romance, but the romance in this book didn't really do it for me. This romance had a big case of insta-love. I mean, Maren basically fainted when she first saw Gavin and she CONSTANTLY thought about how hot he was.



The romance felt extremely fast paced. The moments that were supposed to make me swoon actually felt just out of place and cheesy because I couldn't believe the connection between Maren and Gavin. The romance took away from the parts of the plot that I actually found very interesting. I started to get bored with the book because I wanted to get back to the paranormal world instead of reading about how gorgeous Gavin was. I am hoping that the future books will slow down the pace of the romance and have it on the back burner so the author can really showcase the intriguing world she created.

The ending of this book set up for an intriguing new plot development, so it should be interesting to see how the author deals with that in the next book. Even though I didn't love this book, I think this book would be great for a younger reader who is looking for a new paranormal romance.

2 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

I enjoyed the world that was built in this book and I look forward to seeing what kind of adventures Maren goes on in the future (I'm assuming there will be a sequel as it was certainly set up that way). The setting was gorgeous, the characters were fun, and there were a couple of minor plot twists that I didn't see coming. Overall, this was a very fun read and I'd recommend it if you like YA fantasy that is very much set in the human world.

Its been done. That's really all I can say about this book. The characters were flat and left me wanting and the plot and tone was old used and boring. I had seen so many amazing reviews and I was really excited to dive into this however I was disapointed. It was a reboot of every YA book ever. Two hot guys from two different backgrounds fighting over one girl.... sound familiar?

I will say this book is hard to get into at the beginning but well worth the work. I hope she will writing more books in the future.

In the beginning, the book was a treat to read! I liked the way I felt like I related to Maren, being sent over seas to new relatives you didn't even know, learning customs that made you feel kind of out of place. I also really liked the mysterious vibe added once Maren learns more about her parents' past. But then Gavin came along and ruined everything! Once he got on the scene, I felt as if the storyline suffered. Maren wouldn't be seen interacting with her friends as much to the point where I wouldn't even call them friends (more like acquaintances). Or she wouldn't think of herself in such a great light, thinking that if he didn't like her, it was all her fault, even at times when Gavin clearly states that the fault is his! Plus, with Gavin there, Maren doesn't have as much chance to be a hero, with him saving her all the time! I get that he's otherworldly, but come on! Maren shouldn't have to be such a damsel in distress because she has an otherworldy being on her side! And then there was the fact that the instalove is way too much for me in this book! It was extremely unbelievable, so much so that I cringed every time they were together.

Also, the plot seemed really unorganic to me. I felt that they were sacrificing some serious tension and suspense by just by explaining things right off the bat, not making the protagonist or the reader work for them. I don't want to read exposition that's lazily put in there just so that the story can move along. Overall, I felt as if the story could have been really something, but a lot of the potential, both in the character development and plot, was lost...

Well, that's all I have to say about Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean. It wasn't my cup of tea, and has certainly taught me to be really careful with wishing on NetGalley, just as much as you have to be careful of requesting books that you'd like as well. I think that this might be a good fit for Twilight fans though, even if I didn't like it...

I think this is the perfect book for a youngster (or adult) to make the first venture into the "young adult" genre. Yes, as said before, it was somewhat reminiscent of Twilight, but a great story. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy!

I'd like to thank Blink & Heather Maclean for the opportunity to read & review Toward a Secret Sky on my blog however, I was unable to finish. I DNF'd mainly because I was unable to connect with the writing style or characters in this book. Yes, it's true that YA as whole is chock full of tropes & so it's to be expected. I just wasn't expecting this one to be overwhelmed by them. I hope the series goes on to improve and again am very thankful for the approval. I do not believe in giving negative reviews, I air on the side of neutral but since I did not finish this one I will refrain from posting a review on any of my social media accounts. Thanks again, best regards.

Toward a Secret Sky is an exciting supernatural story with a mix of romance, mystery, and history. The story is set in the present day and told in first person by Maren. Maren is a 17 year old girl who has just lost her mother in a freak accident. Since her father died on the day she was born, she ends up having to leave Missouri and go live in Scotland with her grandparents on her father’s side that she has never met. At first, Maren hates Scotland and complains about the food, the land, and the weather, but eventually starts to like Scotland as she makes some friends, Jo and Stuart, and starts attending school. She also meets a mysterious and very good looking guy, Gavin, in the woods. Maren feels an instant connection to Gavin and can’t stop thinking about him. Then Maren receives a box of her mother’s things, where she finds a rose necklace, a journal full of sketches of buildings, and an unfinished note started in her mother’s hand. Maren is confused about items, but then meets an orphan girl about her age named Hunter, who has the same necklace. Hunter explains that the necklace represents an organization that works with angels to fight demons. Maren always thought her parents had both worked with computers, but the more she uncovers about the items in the box, the more she believes Hunter is correct that her parents worked for the organization. Then Gavin reveals a secret about himself that confirms to Maren for certain that angels and demons exist. After a huge party, her classmates including Jo are infected with a poison that from her mother’s note Maren knows was released by demons. Through her mother’s things, Maren learns where they may be able to find a cure and travels with Gavin to get the antidote. Will they be able to get the antidote back to Scotland in time and is the poisoning the only threat in Scotland Maren has to worry about to save Jo?
The story has a good pace, great characters, and a well-described setting. The story keeps you entertained to the end. Maren is a realistic character in accepting her mother’s death and realizing her mother’s secrets, and dealing with her own psychic powers. Maren is also brave, smart, and a loyal friend. Gavin is kind, strong, and a little old fashioned. Maren’s friends, her grandparents, and the other secondary characters are very well written with distinct, vivid personalities. The author does a great job describing the setting of Scotland making you feel like you are there. The romance between Maren and Gavin happens fast, but is sweet and their deep connection feels right. The story does not have any racy scenes, all Maren does is kiss.No love triangles, a couple jerky guys from her school want to get with her, but Maren only likes Gavin and does not encourage advances from the other boys. The violence is minimal, Gavin battles demons and demons attack, nothing too gory. The story wraps up enough, but leaves an opening for a sequel with Maren’s accepting her new destiny. I really liked this book and would definitely continue with the series. Fans of the Mortal Instruments series, the Fallen series, the Unearthly series, the Conspiracy of Us series add other books about angels or secret organizations would like this book.

A fun YA read for fantasy fans. Reminiscent of Wendy Higgins among others.
Well developed characters and setting, and an interesting mythos.

I look forward to future installments in the series.

I will admit, the cover is what drew me to this title on NetGalley. After reading the description I was intrigued. Unfortunately, after finishing this one I think the cover was the most interesting part of the book.

Maren is seventeen so some of the high-schoolishness I expected (her dislike of warrior Gavin turned crush turned love). But the storyline jumped around too. It would have been better to slowly build this world, the characters and some of the backstory to give us a better foothold as readers moved into the next book (I'm guessing there's going to be a next book based on how this one ended).

Gavin, I think, was supposed to be this broody, sexy warrior who was trying to fight off his attraction to young Maren. Instead, he came off like Maren, flip-flopping with his feelings. The confessions of love just didn't feel sincere.

Romance, war, angels, demons and cosmic battles and underground worlds. What more could you possibly want? Hoping to see more of this story in the future! Great read for young adults and anyone who loves a bit of light but enticing reading.

After the death of her mother seventeen year old Maren Hamilton finds herself being sent to Scotland to live with grandparents that she has never met before. Maren’s father had died on the day she was born and his parents didn’t keep in touch with her mother over the years but now she finds herself stepping into their world with no one else for her to turn to.

Shortly after arriving in Scotland Maren receives some of her mother’s things including a cryptic journal that has Maren questioning just who her mother was. As Maren works to unravel the clues left behind by her mother she finds that there is also a world she never knew existed involved including Angels and Demons when Maren meets Gavin, an angel that is now tasked with protecting her. With clues of a secret organization her parents were a part of and the world around her falling into madness Maren finds herself racing to save those she loves.

Toward a Secret Sky will probably not be for everyone as it has a huge case of the old young adult insta-love trope involved. A lot are comparing this to Twilight and I can see the similarities, the young clueless girl who is instantly attracted to the boy she shouldn’t be with her having something special about her that has yet to be discovered, just switch out the vampires and werewolves with angels and demons in this.

But that being said I really thought this had a life of it’s own if given the chance with the story involving a secret organization and the war between the angels and demons. The story is rather fast paced bringing readers straight into the intrigue of just what Maren’s parents had been a part of and did a decent job building a world with angels and demons in it. So if you look past the swoony oh my gosh this boy is hot cheesiness it becomes a fun little story overall. I don’t see anything about this being a series but there was plenty of room for the story to continue on and I’d be certainly interested in seeing what happens next.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.