Book Review: INK: Fine Lines by Bella Roccaforte

With out a doubt, many of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of reading have come from book review blogs.  While I was reading INK: Fine Lines by Bella Roccaforte, I got to thinking what a shame it is that I've not heard of this book before stumbling on it while browsing on Amazon.  So to remedy, I'm going to do my own book review which will likely be followed by many more.  This is completely unsolicited, I just wanted to pass along a great story. 

Category/genre: NA/Paranormal Romance

My star rating: 4.5/5 (I rated this 5* on Goodreads because they don't allow for a half star, and this definitely deserved more than 4)

Good Reads blurb: Shay Baynes is a wanted woman: by the police for a double murder, by two rival suitors, and by the evil specter that haunts her dreams.

It’s her twenty-first birthday and she finally feels like she’s in charge, out on her own and about to hit it big with a new comic series. The ink's not dry on her breakout first issue but even Shay's twisted imagination can't predict what will happen when the fine line between reality and nightmare is crossed...

She walked away once from the men who want to control her and now they’re back. But can she break away from them and the specter who walks right off the pages of her comic committing gruesome murders.

THE RAVE-WORTHY:  Oh geeze, where to begin!  Bella does a wonderful job from page one at grabbing you.  The action starts right away... and never stops.  Never mind a roller coaster, this entire book is one giant minefield of awesome.  The character development is unreal, the writing is borderline flawless. The paranormal elements are scarce, but they are sprinkled appropriately.  The romance?  This is not a book that has sex on every page (I don't recall any actual intercourse going on)but the tension between Shay and her men (yes, I said MEN, not man) is almost palpable.  Shay has three love interests here, and her dynamic with each is distinct and unique.  Ladies, what's your pleasure?  Chances are, you'll find it in one of the three suitors in this book.  We have Gabriel: the mysterious, hunky dream guy (literally, he's a figment in her imagination).  We have Eli: the sweet, reliable, BFF type that is still flawed enough to keep you interested.  Then, of course, we have Aiden.  Oh, Aiden.  This is the bad boy that you know you'd be better off with out but just can't break yourself away from even though you just know it's going to end badly for you.  I'll confess, he was my favorite because their relationship reminds me so much of that of my husband and I for the first few years.  All of these men are after our protag.  Shay!  Share the wealth, girl!

THE GRUMBLE-WORTHY:  There was a lot of head hopping here.  Multiple POVs can be confusing, and in this book I counted six.  The big problem is that the changes don't necessarily always add to the storyline; often changing in the middle of scene (usually marked by a chapter change) which could have played out just as well staying with the original narrator.  That being said, Bella did make these changes smooth and seamless.  The first line in every chapter is the name of the person who is narrating so that you aren't left guessing.  And truth-be-told, usually I was so gripped by the story that I couldn't careless who was talking to me.

WHAT WILL STICK WITH ME:  The ending.  Or to be more accurate, the lack of.  Save her legal troubles, there is absolutely no closure.  You don't know who gets the girl, you don't know WTF the ghostie thing is, and actually the last two pages are by far the most exciting of the entire book.  Bella, I see what you did there.  And it worked.  I WILL be stalking your website waiting for the sequel.

If you would like me to review your book, feel free to use the contact form to the right or email me at mbernsen@hotmail.com.