Blog Tour: In Between Season by Cassandra Giovanni Review + Giveaway

Welcome to our stop during the In Between Seasons blog tour for Author Cassandra Giovanni. Today we will share our review for In Between Seasons. The blog tour is hosted by Reading Away the Days.

Follow Cassandra Giovanni via: Web • Goodreads • Blog • Etsy

BIO: Cassandra Giovanni is an avid writer of young adult novels and can’t wait to share her work with you. The genres of her novels include dystopian, paranormal, mystery and romance all aimed at appealing to adults and young adults alike. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character’s stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. She began writing at a very young age, in fact from the moment she could draw she was telling stories that way. At age seven she won a contest in American Girl Doll to have a chapter she had written published. From that point on she was always writing, if not on paper than in her head. In May 2012 she published her first novel, In Between Seasons, which demonstrated her unique writing style and approach to the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. On Halloween 2012 Cassandra released her second novel, Walking in the Shadows. This novel puts a new twist on the obsession of vampires in literature and explores some of the darkest parts of human nature, while still showing that there is always hope–if we only choose to believe in ourselves.

Cassandra is also a professional photographer with areas of interest such as car features, floral and architecture. Her photography company, Gio Design Studios, will be transitioning into a publication marketing company that designs covers and marketing materials for authors utilizing the company’s photography. She is currently studying to receive her associates degree in Marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other love of her life their dog, Bubski.

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In Between Seasons
The Fall #1
Author: Cassandra Giovanni
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Released: May 5th 2012
Review Source: Blog Tour
Available: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo

Summary: (from goodreads) At eighteen there is one thing Kate Ericson is certain of—the world is at war and has been since she was two years old. That was when her father pulled her family and a group of close friends to a God forsaken place in the middle of nowhere. For Kate there is no escape from the sea of lies she is drowning in until her world collides with Hunter Marks—the son of her father's biggest opponent. An opponent that Kate didn't even know existed. What Hunter kidnaps Kate for, and what her family will try to kill her to keep secret, is a knowledge that she doesn't have. Now Kate’s innocence seems to becoming undone at the seams of reality. Hunter then finds himself fighting the hopelessness that is creeping into the edges of her heart as she learns more about the corruption that has devoured their lives. As Hunter and Kate forge a strong and unique relationship it becomes clear that their love is something that the bureaucracy never expected, and that Hunter's father will do whatever he can to destroy it. Hunter believes he must sacrifice love in order to teach Kate that the world's deadliest weapon is her. Hunter and Kate will have to find the strength to rise above a deception that is so great, even the ones who created it don't realize its depth.

In Between Seasons is a new kind of post-apocalyptic novel, one that focuses on the characters and uses the lack of understanding of a corrupt world as the backdrop to shape them into who they are as people.

In the year 2031 the world is different. The economic and political upheavals that we see in the year 2012 spiral out of control and into a complete collapse by 2016. The government is non existent. Cities abandoned and martial law reigns even in the deepest uninhibited areas. Tribes have formed and seclude themselves from outsiders. Brute force is used in the tribes protection, claiming this is for the safety and security of the individuals residing within. But to eighteen year old Kate, whose father is the chief of their tribe, the answers have never made sense. Frustrating her parents and even her older sister, Sara, with her questions along with her inability to acquiesce isolates Kate and breeds mistrust on both sides. Even Trevor, the man her father selected as a mate for Kate, seems weak to her and totally controlled by her father. Kate realizes after the latest conversation with Sara that she is alone in her rogue thoughts. But she knows deep inside that the lies those around her seem to accept may never be truthfully answered.

As the siren sounds an alert of an intruder in their compound one afternoon, Kate's world completely changes. In a violent abduction Kate is kidnapped right in front of her parents and Trevor. No one attempts to help her as they fearfully watch the huge man pull Kate from the house and holding her arm in an unbreakable grip drag her along behind him as he runs. After an hour of running the kidnapper stops and as his eyes meet Kate's they both shuddered at the powerful connection and attraction that neither could possibly deny. Kate is mesmerized and though her abductor is huge and menacing she feels no fear.

Hunter left his tribe on a mission assigned by his father, the leader of his tribe. His mission was to infiltrate the enemy camp and abduct one of the leaders daughters in hopes of finding out what secret weapon they were rumored to have secured that could be used in a war to overtake other tribes. If the information was not forth coming from the daughter, Hunter was tasked with killing her. But Hunter knew two things almost immediately after kidnapping Kate. First that she knew nothing of the information he was seeking and second that he couldn't possibly kill her or allow any harm to come to her.

After neutralizing three trackers that threaten them, Hunter decides to carry Kate to make better time as they move farther and farther away from her home. Kate has no desire to return to the life of lies and quickly places her hopes and trust in Hunter. After several days on the run Trevor surprises them in an ambush. But this man that had professed to love Kate, now holds a gun to her head and calmly tells her that he isn't there to save her but has been sent by her father to kill her. Once again her faith in Hunter is supported as he protects her by killing Trevor. Knowing that her parents have disowned and authorized her death shakes her foundation. Though she never believe the lies that surrounded her, she also never thought that she was unloved. But with proof to the contrary she launches herself into Hunters world.

Hunter recognizes that he wants to keep Kate with him. After fabricating a cover story of Kate being a POW that he found after she ran away from an unknown tribe, they settle in to life in Hunters home under the curious and distrustful eye of Hunters dad. With the passage of time they begin to feel more secure and safe. But in a moment of clarity Kate realizes what the coveted secret weapon that her tribe possesses could be, and the breakthrough could shatter the fragile happiness that Hunter and Kate have found thus exposing Kate as the enemies daughter to Hunters father. They must once again run for their lives if they have any hope of surviving together.

This was a fast paced romance full of action and adventure. The multiple layers of the story were well told and the pacing was spot on. I loved the connection between Kate and Hunter and I really liked that neither one of them chose to fight those feelings, but took comfort in having each found each other. I didn't really see the twist in the end coming and I am looking forward to the next installment that will spotlight two secondary characters in this story. Even though this book deals with adults falling in love, the love scenes between the lead characters are Young Adult friendly. But I admit to being a little disappointed that as passionate as these characters are, they never chose to consummate their relationship but platonically feel asleep in each others arms every night. That part seemed a little unrealistic for the 25 and 18 year old age range of Hunter and Kate especially since they both openly discussed their joint lack of virginity.

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Giveaway: US ONLY: 1 Paperback and Bookmark - International: 1 Ebook

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