OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Constant Guests" by Patricia Nedelea.]

What if everything you thought that was real turned out to be a lie? What if your ever-absent father and clingy mother are not actually your parents? In Patricia Nedeleas's debut novel, Constant Guests, join Isa on an unforgettable journey to uncover more than what she bargained for.

After Isa finds out that her biological mother, Mara, has been in a coma for the past several years, she is stunned. What's even more shocking is that Mara went on a deep and dangerous journey in 1991, the year before her accident that caused her comatose state, throughout different cities in Europe. Her mission was to collect the 1389 first-made tarot cards that were sporadically placed within parts of Europe. Unwilling to let it go, Isa now embarks on the same journey to discover what is so special about a seemingly plain deck of old tarot cards. What she finds? A deep hidden secret that she never thought would have been possible.

My first impression of this book? Wow! Unsure of how professional that is, but my mind was blown away reading this tale. Nedeleas does a marvelous job in giving her characters such vivid personalities and developing such a creative, yet plausible plot that I felt I was right in the book traveling alongside Isa. With common themes of determination, courage, self-discovery, and trust, this book has so many elements to make this a great read. It is a pretty lengthy book (my Kindle over 500 pages), but never once did I feel bored or wanted the book to end.

The author also does an amazing job weaving in four storylines set in different time periods. Each chapter is clearly labeled with the location and year to help the reader keep track of which story the author will dig deeper into. Each plot line is vastly different from one another, yet cleverly connected. Included in these stories are historical facts and people, which makes the read even more enticing.

As a caution to potential readers: there are a few, select graphic scenes of torture in this book. Even though I cringed during these scenes, they were fast enough for me to move past them quickly.

I honestly cannot say enough of how much I enjoyed this novel and look forward to more works from this indie author. Goes without saying, but I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Those who enjoy historical fiction with action, adventure, some mystery, and a dash of fantasy, then this is a book for you!

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Constant Guests
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Like hsimone's review? Post a comment saying so!

I almost picked up this book. I am glad you enjoyed it. It sure sounds like a unique book. Thank you for the great and well-written review.


Congratulations to the author for getting such a good review!

Great review! This sounds like a very well-written creative book. I love historical fiction and reading about complex characters. This sounds like a great read. Congratulations to the author for such a positive review!

gali wrote:I almost picked up this book. I am glad you enjoyed it. It sure sounds like a unique book. Thank you for the great and well-written review.


Congratulations to the author for getting such a good review!

Thank you, gali! It was definitely a unique book. I'm glad I picked it up. It's funny how we seem to keep almost picking the same book to review!

-- 10 Jul 2016, 23:10 --

CrescentMoon wrote:Great review! This sounds like a very well-written creative book. I love historical fiction and reading about complex characters. This sounds like a great read. Congratulations to the author for such a positive review!

Thank you, CrescentMoon! Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I really enjoyed the book!

The book does indeed sound quite interesting. I might have to look into getting it after such a glowing review! Great job, hsimone!

Thank you, rssllue! It was such a great read! If you do give it a try, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you for your detailed review. I've just added this to my "want to read" list! Looking forward to it.

You are quite welcome, CatInTheHat! Thank you for reading and commenting on my review! When you get the chance to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I can't say enough of how much I loved it!

Great review! It sounds like a very interesting book, and definitely sounds like one that I would like to read. Can't wait to get the opportunity to read this one!

Thank you, barb429! It was such an amazing book! If you do get to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Excellent review as always. What a jam-packed book with four storylines in different time periods! The torture scenes would be a turn-off for me, but the general plot still sounds great.

Thank you, bookowlie! There was a lot going on (I had to take some notes towards the beginning to make sure I was understanding what was happening in each story! ). When I was first reading those scenes, I did a double-take because I wasn't expecting them. Still a great read though!

I can see how you would need to take notes with so many storylines. I often do that when there are a lot of characters and plot points to keep track of. By the way, the cover is really eye-catching!

I'm glad that I'm not the only one! It took me a while to figure out the significance because that's what caught my eyes too, but I think I get it now after reading the whole book.

hsimone wrote:I'm glad that I'm not the only one! It took me a while to figure out the significance because that's what caught my eyes too, but I think I get it now after reading the whole book.

Sometimes multiple story lines works and makes sense. It's when it doesn't make sense and they don't connect that I'm left shaking my head!