Another Look Book Reviews: Chosen by Denise Grover Swank

Chosen

By Denise Grover Swank

Book Blurb:

Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.

Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn't know she has.

Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it's too late.

Allow me to introduce you to an amazing new urban fantasy series. Chosen is book 1 and November can't come fast enough until I get book 2, Hunted into my hot little hands.

Every once in a while a series comes along and grabs you. For me, Chosen did just that. I contemplated booking a vacation day just to have alone time without kids so I could read without interruption. I just didn't want to put down my Kindle. As it turns out I was able to sneak in some free time at home and during kids sports practices so I got plenty of quality reading time in. Well if you count staying up until 2AM on a work day.

When I started to read Chosen, the first line grabbed my attention. "Emma bolted out the door of the rundown diner, pulling her five year old son behind her. She broke into a cold sweat that had nothing to do with the humid July heat." Right from the get go, my interest was perked and I wanted to know, what, why and how right away. Chapter one was so chalked full of action I think I forgot to breath. I wanted to know what was going on and the little boy Jake had me so curious.

My curiosity didn't stop for chapters and chapters and once I got to fully understand what was going on with Jake and Emma, it was a wow factor.

Will is a perfect hero because he doesn't start off being the hero or shall I rephrase that and say, Will didn't start off intending on being a hero but he immediately adapted to the role. With Emma and Jake on the run, they needed Will and I think Will needed them just as badly. Once the pair got over their impending need for each other, they were a perfect match.

There is an explosion scene that blew my mind. The pain and despair scream through the pages and I my vision got more than a little blurry.

Because Will, Emma and her son Jake ended up on a cross country chase, there was no down time. The book just kept moving and moving and scene after scene was knit together tight and seamless. There were no "filler" scenes and each scene and chapter had a purpose to move the story forward.

I became a fly on the wall watching Emma and Will allow each other to experience their feelings grow for each other. She was not willing to trust so easily and he was not willing to become emotionally attached. Their emotions were true to their characters and in the end the way they ultimately depended on each other was a wonderful evolution to be a part of.

Since Chosen is a series I love that Will, Emma and Jake's story will continue on in the next book. I am truly at a loss to predict how this predicament is all going to play out. The story ending is a bit angsty and a cliffhanger and I've already contacted the author to ~~beg~~ ask me to get an ARC because I can't wait. I need to know the next step in this journey. Once this series is completed (I think it is a trilogy) it will be a stellar combo pack to purchase.