Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Leave It All
SERIES: Saint Lakes #1
AUTHOR: April Kelley
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 206 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2015
BLURB:
EVERYTHING IS CALM AND QUIET IN THE SLEEPY LITTLE TOWN OF SAINT LAKES. THAT IS, UNTIL THE WITCH COMES TO TOWN AND STIRS THE POT, MIXING IN DANGER.
Lucas wanted to be a normal human being, but normal isn’t possible when balls of light come out of his hands and he’s fated to mate a dragon shifter.
Lucas Speck had been a guy who worked at an office supply store and house-sat for his snowbird parents. He was nobody special. Or that’s what he thought until the headaches and other weird things begin to happen. When people start chasing him his whole life gets turned upside down.
Bennett Somerset is a dragon shifter who likes his quiet life in his quiet town. He isn’t looking for complications. He already has a family that defines the words weird and crazy to perfection. Good thing they live in a small town where nothing ever happens. That is until he smells the most delicious thing in the world and realizes it’s his mate. His little witch of a mate complicates things in ways no one is prepared for, least of all Bennett.
Leave it All is the first book in the Saint Lakes. An Action & Adventure Paranormal Romance with dragon shifter and witch fated mates.
REVIEW:
Lucas was a natural introvert. All he wanted was to be a normal human being. However, weird events, a betrayal, and a lucky encounter with a passerby sent Lucas on the run. His eyes were opened, making him realize that there was much to learn. Yet, while alone, there was no one to teach him. Then Lucas encountered Bennett, which threw up a new load of questions and emotions. But it had the possibility of giving Lucas everything he ever wanted.
Leave It All is a tale that turned out to be different than I expected. Nevertheless, I kept turning pages, eagerly anticipating what was to follow.
The story is told in the third person from three viewpoints – The witch Lucas, Bennett, the dragon shifter/fated mate to Lucas, and Nicolono, the vampire coven leader. Worldbuilding is restricted to the areas of action, the emotions associated with discovering the paranormal world, and everything that it entails.
Lucas believed he was a regular guy who loved playing his guitar. Lucas thought everyone could read people somehow but had no idea he was a rare male witch. So, when weird things began happening to him, Lucas kept quiet. Not long after, he had what most would call a rude awakening.
Nicolono is the new leader of a vampire coven. He knows there’s a new male witch who is unaware of his powers, and he wants him at any cost. Nicolono has problems within the ranks, though, that exacerbate his goals.
Bennet is a dragon shifter. One of a large family of non-blood brothers and sisters, all of whom are shifters of one animal or another. Their bond is strong, born out by the easy banter between them, and they are all well-versed in the dos and don’ts of the paranormal world. So, when Lucas comes into Bennet’s life, their relationship must navigate questions and emotions that Bennet are second nature to Bennet but completely new to Lucas.
There are pockets of high-octane drama where I was eager to read faster. Also, a large portion of the story is spent traversing the transition between the human way and the paranormal world, discovering, and controlling powers, fated mates, and all the insecurities associated with coming to terms with everything being different. Let’s not forget the fear that a vampire coven is after Lucas. This, too, was page-turning reading of a different nature. Some parts were a touch cookie-cutter, but the vampire action balanced the narrative.
I’d have liked the story to be a little longer so that a few extra things could be added. E.g., Lucas leaves his parent’s home in a rush. And, while his life is topsy-turvy, he quite rightly can’t contact them due to safety issues. But they aren’t even a passing thought until the end. However, as this is the first book of a series, I hope details like these are taken care of in the next book.
RATING: 
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