Veiled by Karina Halle
Published by Indie
Published on: July 27, 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 313
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Death.
It's something that Ada Palomino has always known so well, having grown up in a house of horrors, surrounded by a family plagued by ghosts and demons and things that go bump in the night.
But after the sudden and tragic death of her mother two years ago, death has never felt so personal.
Or so close.
Now eighteen, Ada is trying to move on with her life and the last month of summer holds nothing but sunshine and promises with her first year at a Portland design school just around the bend.
That is until her increasingly violent and realistic dreams, dreams of other worlds, of portals and veils where her mother is tortured and souls bleed for mercy, start to blend into reality. Ada has to lean on her older sister, Perry, to try and make sense of it all but even then, she's never felt more alone.
Then there's Jay. Tall, handsome and deeply mysterious, Jay would be just another stranger, a familiar face on the bus, if it wasn't for the fact that Ada has met him before.
Every night.
In every single dream.
And the more that Ada is drawn to him in both worlds, the more she's in danger of losing everything.
Including her heart.
And her very soul.
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Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series still ranks among my top ten favorite series, and the relationship between Perry and Dex is still one of my favorite romances-ever. Throughout that series, which has ended, Perry’s kid sister, Ada, was part of the story in most of the installments. Dubbed “Little Fifteen” by Dex, Ada at fifteen had her own sucessful fashion blog, her own wonderful sense of style, and oh yes, her family’s ability to see ghosts. However, this is not an installment of the Experiment in Terror series, and is a standalone. It also happens to be a book I have been looking forward to, for a long time.
Now eighteen, Ada is getting ready to go to fashion school when the summer is over. She still lives with her father, a fairly new widower. She’s now using Perry’s old room and things aren’t looking good for the closet in the room, to say the least. This room was the place where so many supernatural things happened to Perry, and now it’s Ada’s turn. In her place, I would never open my closet-ever. Or sleep in there for that matter. And that’s because this room is creepy and what happens to Ada there is downright scary at times. Ada’s dreams are weird to say the least, and at times real. When she meets the man she keeps dreaming of, Jay, in her bedroom one night after a horrible dream, she is understandably scared. And when he disappears shortly after, the creep factor ramps up considerably. But Jay is real and they have a connection that transcends the earthly world. He is her protector, but the question is-who is he really, and is he even alive?
Ms. Halle is known for her romances, ones that usually feature flawed characters, and now with this book, she has written a paranormal romance that is off the charts with both chemistry between the two main characters, combined with amazingly sensual sex scenes, all the while being surrounded by the supernatural of the horror sort. Bringing in Perry and Dex as peripheral characters was genius for those of us that loved Halle’s Experiment in Terror books. And for fans of her Devil’s Duology books(me included), she brought in the main characters from those books as well, Sage and Dawn. All of these characters share having had a supernatural past, or present for that matter.
I am not going deeper into the story due to spoilers. I will say that at times I had to put the book down while reading as it was scaring me before bedtime(yes, I am a wuss). Having said that, I loved the romance between Jay and Ada, and the almost slow burn that got us to that point, complete with major sexual tension. The author created such depth in the main characters and their pasts, that I felt that I knew them personally. The two find in each other a kindred spirit, one that has been ravaged way too many times by the paranormal.
I highly recommend this to adult paranormal romance readers, as well as fans of the EIT and The Devil’s Duology books. It’s not necessary to read those books before reading this one to enjoy this story and I want to stress that. However, I was personally glad I had read those books as it just added to what has been an ongoing story for me. I also want to thank Karina Halle for giving us Ada’s story. It was everything I was hoping for and more!
I’m Lorna and I live in Maryland. Since retiring, I spend my time mostly reading and reviewing books. My favorite reads are Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Young Adult. I read a lot of indie books in addition to traditionally published books. Favorite paranormal creature? Vampires, but I am really liking werewolves more everyday.
Sounds like an interesting one, I will have to check out that other series. 🙂
It’s really not necessary to read the series to enjoy and understand this one. For EIT fans it was just the icing on the cake for a series that ended a couple of years ago 🙂
You’ve just reminded me that I have like the first 5 expirement in terror books on my kindle waiting to be read! Everyone always has such good things to say about them – sounds like this spinoff didn’t disappoint, so I’ll have to put it on my radar for after I finally read the others! Great review 🙂
Berls recently posted…Top Ten Audiobook Narrators
Thanks! Keep in mind that the first book is pretty much YA, but as the series goes on, it’s definitely not. And it gets better as you go 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
I love this author, her stories are always so dark and very original even when they somehow aren’t original. I need to try this one! Wonderful review!
It’s definitely a different sort of paranormal romance. And dark, but really good 🙂 Thanks!
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
Not sure if this would be a series for me as I don’t like horror usually. But the combination of sensual sex scenes, romance and horror elements does sound like an unique combination! Oh and flawed characters, those are always interesting to read about. Great review!
Lola recently posted…Review: The Prince and the Cyborg by J.M. Page
If you aren’t a fan of horror, maybe not. Although, I am not a fan of it especially, but the series this is a spin off of could be considered horror and it scared me yes, but I still loved it 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
Clearly I need to read this author…I love horror! I have a couple of books I think from her that are horror…hmm today’s project find out what books I have by her!
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Her Renegade Rancher by Jennifer Ryan
It would be good if they were the first two of her Experiment in Terror series, but she does have quite a few series now-but only 3 that are horror that I can remember. Seems like I have always got books by her in my tbr, right now I have two and I just read one about ten days ago. And it wasn’t this one. She’s very prolific 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
Oh boy, if it creeped you out then it must be uber freaky. I love what you’re saying about this one and the earlier series. I’ve yet to try her books and I need to. Glad you got satisfied with Ada’s spin-off story.
Oh this author definitely knows how to write creepy. And I really did love this one 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
What a versatile author Ms. Halle is! Ah this book reminds me of my reaction to every single horror films I’ve ever seen. I’m always telling the characters to leave the house after one scary episode. Lol.
I used to love horror movies, but I can no longer watch them, read it yes. And admittedly, this is not as horrific as some I have read!
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
I’m a huge fan of horror. I do tend to increase the number of horror that I read this time of year (Halloween and all). I’m going to have to see if my library has this one, especially if it is on audio. 🙂
Melanie recently posted…Review: Lonen’s War by Jeffe Kennedy (@mlsimmons, @jeffekennedy)
It’s fairly new out so I am not sure if audio is out yet. You might try reading Dark House by her, it’s the start of the series and the main character of Veiled is a peripheral character in it. It’s kind of YA, but the books that come after this one in the series isn’t. And it’s free. At least it was.
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
I’m a total wuss too, but oddly enough really getting into horror. Oh this sounds so intriguing and I do think I’ll have to put it on my wishlist! Brilly review!
Melissa (Books and Things) recently posted…On My Wishlist: Yesternight by Cat Winters
You may really like this one then 🙂 It’s romantic and scary! Thanks!
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
Gah! You’ve just given me reason to read much more from Halle. I’ve only recently gotten acquainted with Halle by listening to a contemporary, but I really enjoyed it. I have A LOT of her books though, including the first in the Experiment in Terror series, so I’m eager to meet Perry and Dex. I’m glad Veiled was worth the wait. It sounds like the perfect blend of creepy and paranormal romance. 🙂
Oh it’s definitely creepy Brandee, but very romantic and steamy too 🙂 Dark House hooked me on her books, but the books that followed were even better, at least I thought. Talk about a new book boyfriend! I hope you get a chance to try it 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Veiled by Karina Halle (@Mollykatie112, @MetalBlonde)
OMG! I love it when you are so sucked into the storyline that you have to have a time out from it! I’ve only just read my first Halle book, and I know I need more!
Naomi Hop recently posted…12 Steps to Mr. Right by Cindi Madsen ~ Review, Giveaway & Swoon Thursday (@CindiMadsen, @wordsmithpublic)
Well the paranormal lover in me wants to tell you to start with Dark House which I think is free but I do know you love contemporary and she’s got lots of those. I have at least three in my tbr pile myself. She US a favorite of mine 🙂
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