Review: Caught In the Glow (The Glower Chronicles #1) by Eva Chase @AuthorEvaChase

When she was a child, Avery Harmen watched her father die at the hands of a Glower--a breed of demon that feeds on dreams of fame and glory. Now she secretly protects the rising stars of Los Angeles from the

demons that prey on them, determined to make sure her clients never suffer

the same fate.

Then Avery finds herself assigned to Colin Ryder, a young indie rocker who

just landed a major label deal. Colin is cocky, rebellious, a brilliant

musician, and already in the Glowers' sights. He's also far too hot for

Avery to ignore the chemistry between them--especially when she gets to

know the tender side behind his celebrity facade. Though Avery knows she's

falling too fast, she's willing to risk heartbreak if fanning the flames

of attraction distracts Colin from his Glower-tempting antics. But Colin

is keeping a secret of his own, one so big it will put both her heart and

his soul on the line.

Caught in the Glow   NA paranormal, romance    3 - 3.5 stars 

Isis' Review:

I would like to thank author Eva Chase for an e-copy of her book to review. Though I received this e-book for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review. 

This is the first book in a series, yet each book is a stand-alone story in its own right. And this happens to be Avery's & Colin's story. I was quite surprised to find that I liked both the protagonists from pretty much the very beginning. I think I was expecting another formulaic rocker falls for good-girl romance, with a side dish of paranormal to make the story stand out from the crowd. And while the paranormal aspect does make this story stand apart from all the other rocker romances out there, it's not some gimmick thrown in as an aside. The paranormal portion of this story is actually really integral to it; impacting the story without overwhelming it. 

Avery ran from her dreams of being a drummer, ran from her own talent; not that she's ever admit that fact, maybe not even to herself. Her fear of being to weak to say no to the otherworldly beings that feed on creativity and fame led her in a different direction. Now she guards other famous artists from those very demons, though the people she protects have no idea why she's really there. They just think she is acting as their professional minder - keeping them on track and keeping their investors (labels, concert venues, merchandisers, etc.) happy. 

Avery's second assignment happens to be Colin Ryder, an up and coming rock star. And a real handful. Avery is Colin's third, and possibly final, minder. She feels the weight of keeping him safe, and not just because she takes pride in her work. There's more going on behind the scenes than her sense of professionalism, and much more at stake. But it doesn't take long at all for Avery to lose her grip on her professional persona and fall under Colin's spell. For good reason to; Colin is much more complex than one might expect, especially given his behavior and antics. 

As Avery struggles to balance her job and her personal desires, Colin reveals his own layers. Layers you wouldn't expect from a rock god who looks like him and has the talent to back up those looks. Actually has the talents, musical and otherwise. The man knows how to make his chosen instruments sing and then some. He's not afraid of his emotions, which immediately moves him to the front of the list of famous rockers in books like this. 

But all that aside, what I found so refreshing was the honesty in each character's voice. They were true to themselves, or at least the current version of themselves. Neither one played games, and they didn't run away from each other and cause those oh so predictable scenes that we've all read a thousand times before. Both Avery and Colin, young as they are, show far more maturity than most people twice their ages. Not to say they don't have fun or make mistakes, but they own their baggage - the good and the bad. And that's what makes them so appealing to spend some time with, to go on their journey with them. The sex scenes don't hurt their story either; nudge, nudge, wink, wink if you know what I mean. This makes for a fun read, doesn't matter if you're at the beach soaking in the rays or curled up with a soft blanket on the sofa while the wind is howling and snow is piling up outside the door. 

Hi! I’m Eva Chase, fan of stories of the swoony and supernatural sort. A few fun facts…

Fave color: Violet

Fave foods: Green curry chicken, California rolls, pizza

Fave vacation spot: Cancun

Fave animal: Dolphin

I look forward to getting to know my readers. Feel free to ask about anything that interests you using the comment form below!