Taking Back Forever

Kindrily #2

by Karen Amanda Hooper

*

Every moment, every lifetime, every decision—including her choice to erase—has led Maryah to this.

Two outcomes are possible: an infinite happy-ever-after with her kindrily or the final severing of her relationship with Nathan.

Closer to the enemy than ever before, Maryah unravels the diabolical plan that Dedrick has been manipulating into place for centuries. Revelations, secrets, and lies surface faster than Maryah can process. She doesn't know who to trust, what to believe, or how to save her loved ones from the desolate future Dedrick is so close to executing.

Guided by an enigmatic raven-haired prisoner, Maryah fights body and soul to save Nathan, her kindrily, and countless others. But is her love strong enough to alter a prophecy written in the stars?

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Urban Fantasy

365 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2013

About the author

Author of YA supernatural and fantasy. (Magic and love are the heart and soul of all my stories.)

~TANGLED TIDES & DANGEROUS DEPTHS
~THE KINDRILY series
~VIRTUAL ARCANA series.

I was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years, and I'm currently sunning and splashing around Florida with my spoiled rescue bulldog. I'm addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters.

There aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with my Goodreads shelves and lists, but I do occasionally try to add a book if I remember. Feel free to friend me. I love meeting other book lovers and seeing what people are reading!

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very biased. Don't go by my 5 star rating.

I'm running a little behind and had to push back the release date to the end of May, but I promise to try to get it in your hands ASAP.I swear I'm not slacking, I just want it to be as great as it can be, and don't want to rush it. You readers deserve better than that.

[Hersh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stars are waiting for you

This book was lovely.

Maryah, our lovely lead is trying her best to remember her past lives with her one true love; her soul mate Nathaniel.

In the first book, Maryah was clueless as to who she truly was. Nathan and his family try everything they could to help her remember; remember Nathan and finally she remembered her love for Nathan; their love.
The first book was narrated by Nathan and Maryah. The second book is narrated by Maryah and Harmony. I missed Nathan's point of view but Harmony's point of view was as enjoyable as Nathan's.

It was beautiful. I loved how the author, Karen Hooper weaved the story. Her words were like a soft melody. The author has described the characters of this book in the best possible way. Every character seemed lively, it was almost like as if they were real.

The one thing that I wished was that the book could have been a little faster. It was slow - paced but it was lovely to read, nevertheless. I loved the concept of soul mates and retaining your memories of your previous life. It was very intriguing and something completely different.

On the whole: It was a very lovely read.

Go see the stars, they are always there

These stars represent each member of the Kindrily :)

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

" When your eyes look like that, it's so..." I couldn't find a word powerful enough to describe it, so I went with,"magical".
"It's not me," he insisted."It's us. Our history. Every emotion, memory, and piece of our past together is stored in my soul."



We meet our favorite Kindrily again...and this time Maryah finally knows the true about her and all of them. She remembers the love for them, her love for Nathan. She proves to them all, how their love is truly eternal and that the soul remember!
But still she can't remember her past lives and why she erased.
It's imperative that she works on remembering her past and get in contact with her powers,like astral travel, in order to find Gregory and his abductor, Dredrick.

If in Grasping at Eternity we had Maryah/Nathan POV's, in this one we have Maryah/Harmony POV.

Maryah

Why? Why would I give up such an extraordinary way of life? That question plagued me all day every day.

We can feel her struggle with this question. Now that she remember and feels her love for Nathan, what caused her to give it all up.
And we can feel her frustration, trying to remember, trying to be helpful. There are some trues revealed that will make us think, of how much Mary did predict and saw before the terrible events that destroyed the Kindrily in their past life.

I got to say that for me, Maryah improved a lot in this book.
It did helped to clear the air, that AWESOME beginning to this book, that made me laugh like crazy.
And of course it have to be Carson involved in it!

"Maryah, for months so much magic has been happening all round you, but you were oblivious. I speak for many when I say we really wanted to shake some sense into you."

"For questions, you get chocolate. For obliviousness, you get the horn." Carson smirked."It's a win-win."



haha, seriously, I'm feeling you Carson, I felt the same way.

Now to be fair to Maryah, she asked a lot more questions now, and more pro-active. It was great to read some of her moments where her "old soul" would come out...

What to say about Nathan?



He is perfect ♥
And OMG, the sexual tension between this 2 just killed me! HOT, HOT and HOT!!

"This is one of those moments when I desperately wish you hadn't erased."
"Why this moment?" He took his time scanning every curve of my body before answering."Because if you hadn't erased, I'd have no moral qualms about making love to you right here and now."

Harmony



" Each day that passes I know I'm one day closer to losing him forever. I can't wait any longer. I have to find him. And when I do,even if he is corrupted, even if he is no longer pure and good, I will love him and bring him back. Because as science has proven, the heart remembers."


Her story just breaks my heart! 18 years looking for her soul mate, feeling incomplete without him.
That whole scene at the airport, I thought my heart would stop. I cried when he stab her and thought that couldn't been happening!! I'm so happy they got so far their HEA

And it was great to really feel her love for her brother Dakota and the way she cares about him. And oh boy, I do have some theories about him. I'm in the group that doesn't think he is nuts and that the key is in the book he gave her.

Another unique aspect in this book, is that the author gave us 2 endings, one really satisfying and another if we wanted to keep reading, that is a cliffhanger.
Of course,like the masochist I am I had to read the cliffhanger and now I can't wait to know more.




For this one and more reviews go to:
A Bookworm Confessions

**egalley kindly provided via netgalley in exchange of an honest review**

[Inna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Inna @Inna's Little Bookshelves
I was counting down the days until this book came and when I got an ARC ( Thanks for that by the way) I actually did a little happy dance around my house before jumping into this book. The book did not leave my hands until I read the very last page.
While Grasping at Eternity was an amazing, fantastic, scream your head off good novel, in my opinion it doesn't hold a candle to Taking Back Forever. There was so much more action in this book, so much romance that makes your toes curl and things get revealed that will make your jaw drop. We have Harmony narrating one perspective while looking for her soul mate and Maryah narrates her own perspective as she tries to gain her memories back. This was just perfect.
Maryah, so you know how in the last book literally every single person who read this book just wanted to give the girl a good shake? Yeah, that is so not the Maryah in this book. She really steps it up, embraced her kindrily and works towards getting her memories back. She becomes an amazing heroine, not a confused girl. I was so proud of her I wanted to give her a hug.
Nathaniel...ASDFGHJKL... yep I had to use that because I can't think of a word that can describe how he makes me feel. He was perfectly perfect as always. He was such a gentleman ( although he does get a little mischievous with his words towards Maryah here, not that I'm complaining ;) Also his love for Maryah was so pure and deep. Honestly, I could probably rant on and on and on about Nathaniel but here is what you really need to know. He is the best boyfriend ever and if I didn't like Maryah so much the girl would have some competition.
The ending. You get a choice people!!!! Heaven bless Karen Hooper. If I didn't have a choice to read the ending or wait until Fighting for Infinity I might have just lost it. So I chose to not read it, but you guys can do whatever floats your boats, just keep any information away from me.
Overall, this book was amazing. The soul-mate aspect was carried out perfectly and why are you still reading my review? Go shoo buy this novel right now.

[Mai is a Happy Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The heart remembers."



First of all, I would like to thank Karen, Starry Sky and Netgalley for my ARC copy. It was like one of my happiest days that week.

For the review: I missed the gang. I miss the whole Luna family and the idea of soul mates having supernatural powers.
I was more enthralled when I found out the story will be told in dual POVs. In Maryah's and Harmony's.

I am not fond with Harmony's character. I think she's too dark and lonely. I guess losing your soul mate is the worst thing that could ever happen. But, in this second book, I understood her feelings better even if she have mishaps during the course of the adventure.

I am a bit annoyed with Maryah.. She's still confused with everything. I feel that she's transgressing a bit and I love her better on Grasping.

Now, Nathaniel Luna. I love him even more. He is still the epitome of all mankind and I am dying to know if he's hiding a terrible secret from the Kindrily.



Thank God for some action. I am relieved that Dakota and Harmony survived it. And Gregory.. Hallelujah.

I love the ending! I think it's cool that Karen put a sort of disclaimer on the ending. She will make you choose to stop or to read on.
Well.. I read on. And I am dying of curiosity in here.

Will wait for the third book. <3

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: May 17,2013
"Perfect. Then imagine that you started reading the most interesting and fascinating comic book ever created. You fell in love with some characters, you hated others. Endless plots unfolded and every one was an emotional page-turner you couldn't read fast enough because you had to know what was going to happen next. You felt like the world would end if you didn't find out how the story ended. But then you get to the end and there was no end. The author didn't finish it. You don't know if good or evil won. You don't know if the guy got the girl. You don't know any of the answers to all your important questions." --Harmony, Taking Back Forever

This was the very part that described my situation after I finished the book. I will TRY to patiently wait for the next one... Ohhhhhhh... It was just too intense! Too intense to stop although Karen Hooper warned us...

Can't find the next book on goodreads... Hope it comes out before 2013 ends!
--------------------------------------------------------
Book 1 was the most original book I have ever read! I can't wait for this one!

[Samantha]

I want NEED answers!

---

2012.10.17 - omg! A cover! :D But the publication date has been pushed back to March :(

---

2013.02.09 - And now pushed to May! :( le sob.

[Calzedonka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Už jste se setkali s knihou, kde máte na výběr, jestli dočtete díl s cliffhangerem či bez něj? Ne? Tak tady jedna je :-D

[Once · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say I was blown away again by Karen Hooper would be putting how I feel mildly. I was just wrapping up a re-read on Grasping at Eternity when my email alerted me to new mail. I had received the much anticipated sequel to Grasping which I had waited for now over a year. I quickly installed the story to my iPad and started the story up as soon as the last line of GAE was fresh in my memory.

Where GAE leaves off and Taking Back Forever picks up, Maryah is struggling to remember anything about her past lives with her kindrily and soul mate, Nathaniel. The key to remembering is awakening her ability to astral travel. She's only been able to astral travel since erasing after her last life when Nathaniel has been involved. So far, he's the only part of her past she's been able to remember. But now Harmony, another member of their kindrily, is needing Maryah's memory to ignite more than ever. Her soul mate Gregory's whereabouts have been unclear since their last life cycle ended. His star still burns in the sky next to Harmony's, suggesting that even if he had in fact been killed that he has not erased. So why has he not been reconnected with Harmony in this life cycle? She believes the key to discovering the truth is Maryah's ability to astral travel. If they could just get her to tap into her power as an Element again, Harmony's hope is that Maryah will be able to reveal where Gregory has been for the last eighteen years.

I adore this story and all of the characters in the kindrily. I love following along with Maryah and Nathaniel as they explore new and often times very sensual ways to ignite Maryah's memory of the past. The heat and love that they share is palpable. Nathaniel's decision to woo Maryah and win her affection the proper way, like suitors used to do is so beautifully romantic, it will have you absolutely melting.

I don't want to give away too much from the book but I will say a few things I loved. I loved Karen's note to her readers at the beginning of the book explaining how she doesn't believe in giving a lot of back story as she continues her writing. So I highly recommend not reading this one until you have picked up a copy of Grasping at Eternity. I am not a huge fan of overstressed back story in sequels. So, for Karen to admit this and write this way, she keeps me firmly on her list of admirers. Another thing I loved was the humor and free spirited way that the characters interact with one another. I just feel like I'm surrounded by old friends and get a huge warm and fuzzy feeling from them. Finally, the love story of course is epic and you all know I'm a sucker for toe curling romances. I still hold to my first review that this is the new standard for star-crossed love stories. Karen's writing continues to be impeccable and I remain a devoted follower. Pick up Grasping at Eternity and Taking Back Forever and you will become a fan as well!

Oh and last but not least ... if you choose to read the four chapters that follow Karen's note at the end of the Chapter named "Body and Soul", do so at your heart's expense ... because I continued and was left with that air knocked out of your lungs feeling. That being said ... I can't wait for Fighting for Infinity ... release date TBD!

Where Grasping was mostly geared toward the YA crowd, Taking Back Forever I would rate as strictly 17+.

[Jess at Such a Novel Idea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Read Update:

So, not having to wait to know what happens next was MUCH easier this go around!




Visit suchanovelidea.wordpress.com for more!

Why You Should Buy It

Book Two in the Kindrily series packs in just as much mystery, action, and romance as the first. Things heat up for the Kindrily family and new characters come to the forefront to tell more of the story. This book is just as magical, if not more, than Grasping at Eternity and will leave the reader breathless and wanting more!

My Thoughts

*I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of NetGalley*

I gotta say that I was looking forward to this book, but it still managed to blow my expectations out of the water. The book starts off just about where book 1 ended and the family is trying to help Maryah remember her memories. The process she goes through to remember her past is so interesting. And the fact that it was so related to her connection with Nathan — I kept getting swept up in the beautiful romance of it.

The premise of this story is still the biggest draw for me — a group of people who can choose not to reset their souls before returning to earth, thus remembering all their past lives. I was so fascinated by the back story of this book, and the Kindrily processes & powers. Everything wasn’t glossy and pretty — we really start to see what it means to have all that knowledge in your head. At first you think, how amazing would it be to have all that past, but Hooper shows the grief and embarrassment that can come with the joy and bliss of knowing the past. Just think — you have complete recall of every mistake and embarrassing action you took in not one life, but ALL your lives. Not exactly pretty, if you know what I mean.

I loved that the book shifted focus from just Maryah to the other characters. The first book had SO many characters in the background, and this one brought more of those characters to the forefront. I also liked how we got to learn so much more back story of these people and who they were – flaws and all. Harmony was such a dynamic character — book one left her so one-dimensional for the right reasons. But in book two we begin to peel back the gruff exterior and see what an amazing person she is.

There is genuine pain, happiness, sorrow, and grief in the pages of this book — Hooper really knows how to bring a character to life. Readers will love getting to know Harmony, Maryah, and all the other Kindrily. And my favorite part of the entire book had to be the ending. Hooper let the story end in the most creative way — it alone made the book. This series has quickly become one of my favorites.

If you haven’t read book one, Grasping at Eternity, check out my review here.

Overall

Four point five out of Five Stars

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really know how to write a review but since I promised I would, here goes^^

First of all I have to say...WOW!!! I already loved GAE. But TBF took the story of Maryah and Nathan to a whole new level.

The first thing I liked: There was no big recap of GAE. For some that may be a thing not to like, but I don't buy the second book of a series in order to be told again and again what happened in the first one. I could hug Karen just for this :D

TBF is told from multiple POV. This was really well done, because you get to know so much more about the kindrily (especially about Harmony). But there's no "unnatural" (don't know a better word right now) change between the POV. No sudden changes that leave you thinking "Noooooo, why now?"

That brings me to the next point...Harmony. I have to admit I still don't like her. I understand her a lot better now. I understand that under all her insults and hurtful words lies the love for her soul mate and her kindrily. But even so, I don't like how she goes about showing that. She's hundreds of years old (at least her soul and her memories) and still acts like a spoiled little girl when things don't happen how/when she wants it.

But even though I don't like Harmony's personality, I could see more depth in her and all the other characters in TBF. Maybe because you get to know more about their past, but also because of how the story developed. Not just Harmony's, Maryah's and Nathan's story, but everyone's lives changed in some way. Be it something little like turtles, bunnies and candles or something bigger like...well...something bigger^^ (no I won't spoiler. But some biiiig changes are taking place in TBF).

At the end of the book there are a few extra chapters from book three. Also a great plus for me (though I didn't read them yet. I wanted to write my review before that). There's a warning between the "real ending" of TBF and those extra chapters from book three, so if you don't want any spoilers you don't have to read those. But still a great plus for those of us who love spoilers!

And about my reactions to TBF...Let's just say Karen did it again! She is one of the very few authors who can make me laugh, cry, angry and..."hot and bothered" (and a few other things) all in the span of a few sentences. It's a great story and I'm so very grateful to have gotten an ARC and read it just that little bit earlier. TBF deserves nothing less than 5 stars and is already one of my favorites of 2013. Though now I have to search for a song for this book (I have this strange hobby of searching for songs that match my favorite stories. Though I'm afraid it won't be easy with this one, but I'll post it once I find one)

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Karen Amanda Hooper, All Night Reads, and Netgalley.)
This is book 2 in the ‘Kindrily’ series, and picks up where book 1 ‘Grasping at Eternity’ left off.
**Warning – some unavoidable spoilers for book 1 ‘Grasping at Eternity.**
Maryah may have accepted the fact that Nathan is her soul-mate, and she’s accepted that something bad must have happened to cause her to erase, but that doesn’t mean that she’s back to how she was before.
Desperately trying to learn to ‘senseperience’, and to relearn astral projecting, Maryah feels like a clock is ticking down, especially given Harmony’s persistence in trying to locate her own soul-mate Gregory.

Things aren’t going to be easy for Maryah though, and she’s about to find that things are even more complex than she ever imagined.
Can Maryah learn to astral project at will? Can she rediscover her past lives with Nathan? And can she find Gregory before it’s too late?


This was a great, action packed second instalment in this interesting YA series about reincarnation.

This time our main protagonists were Maryah and Harmony, and the story is told from their alternating points of view.
Maryah continues to try her best to regain her memories and abilities, which is actually pretty tough considering that she’s not supposed to remember! I admired her strength and persistence, but it always seemed that what she was reaching for was out of reach.
I didn’t like Harmony much. She seemed like quite a prickly character in the previous book, and in this one she really is quite malicious and conniving. I totally get the troubles she was having, but she could have maybe been a bit nicer to people who were trying to help her!

The romance between Nathan and Maryah flared again in this story, and I really wished at times that they would just have sex instead of talking about it. I mean, they’ve obviously done it before in previous lives, they constantly want to rip each other’s clothes off, yet they’re going to wait ‘til they’re married? Do the previous 20 weddings not count?

I liked the storyline in this book, and this one certainly seemed more action packed than book 1. I did find that some parts dragged a little though, and sometimes the events seemed to work out a little too well for those involved. I was also disappointed that we still did not find out why Maryah erased!
I did like this story overall though, and I really want to know what will happen in the next book! The story is seemingly becoming more complex, and there are more factors coming into play, which should make for an even more surprising third book.
Overall; a great second instalment in this YA series about reincarnation.
7.5 out of 10.

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Brief Summary: Maryah is working to recover her memories and strengthen her powers of astral projection. She's determined to help her Kindrily find Gregory. As Maryah learns more about her past she realizes more and more how her past actions have put things in motion which effect the present. And yet, she still doesn't know why she erased at the end of her last life or what Dedrick wants from her.

Review: Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers/author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much more than the first book. Maryah's cluelessness in the last book kind of annoyed me, so I was happy that she knew what was going on with her Kindrily in this one. (I loved the first chapter when her Kndrily are actually poking fun at how ridiculously oblivious Maryah has been.) This book is told from Maryah and Harmony's point of view. I missed having the male perspective, but really liked Harmony's voice. She may have appeared tough and ballsy on the outside,but she clearly felt deeply and I admired her intensity in everything she was willing to do to recover her soul mate, Gregory.

There was so much more smexy in this book. Let's just say that Maryah and Nathan's "meditation" session which were supposed to help her remember and use her power were pretty hot and heavy. Nathan is a very sensual guy. I loved the beautiful things he says to Maryah, even if part of me kept thinking that no real guy would say such flowery-romantic stuff. Then I remembered, Nathan is not just a guy, he's an immortal and supernatural Element. After so many lifetimes with Mary, of course he is going to be more intimate and expressive than a typical 18 year old.

There was also a lot more action; I can't complain about the pacing at all. Relationships are developing, secrets coming to light, several of the Kindrily's powers are evolving (I have some theories about why this might be,) and different characters are becoming significant. The show down with the Nefariouns had me shouting, "holy crap!" (Who would have thought that Dakota would have an expanding role in this story?) Gregory's recounting of events in Mary's last life left me even more speculative about her choice to erase. The author gives you a choice as to where to stop reading at the end. I chose to read the cliff hanger. It's a big one! More and more questions about the next book just keep coming to mind!

Recommendation: This series is getting better and better. In the first book, I only really cared about Nathan and Maryah's romance. After the second, several of the Kindrily have become important to me. I want more of their personal stories. If you love paranormal romance with a twist of cosmic destiny, try this!

[Kasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
I couldn’t help but start Taking Back Forever right after finishing Grasping at Eternity because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I’m totally addicted to this series, and this book was a great installment.

I’ve been suspecting since the first book that Maryah didn’t erase herself, but that Dedrick did something to her. I know it hasn’t been confirmed yet, but my spidey senses are telling me that I’m correct. The fact that she told Gregory she would do everything she could to remember, and that she was crying. These are two things that seemed so out of character for Mary, that I really feel like this is what the next book is going to explore.

I really liked being able to get more insight into Harmony, however she is so incredibly selfish that it made it very difficult for me to read from her perspective. Maryah has a healthy mix of selflessness and selfishness, and so it bothered me to read how single-minded Harmony was. I know a large part of that is because she was missing Gregory, but I just feel like she took it way to far.

I did really love this book, and I loved that we got to see Maryah start to get her memories back, and we got to meet an un-brainwashed Gregory. I liked to see how romantic Nathaniel could be, and we got to watch Krista and Carson grow together. I did hate that they were still giving Mary crap over erasing. I’m sure it is annoying that she doesn’t know who she is, but it just upset me on her behalf. I mean Harmony was a such a selfish witch that she didn’t even notice that Mary survived, but no one really gives her too much crap. I know it’s because no one understood why Mary erased, but still I feel like there is one big huge apology owed to Maryah. Especially from Carson, because he was the worst out of all of them.

I give this book 4.5 stars because I did wish that there was more movement with Maryah remembering. I’m pretty sure that Dedrick is blocking her and caused her to erase her memories, but it’s getting a little frustrating to keep reading that she’s not remembering anything that could be useful against Dedrick. However, this book made me feel every emotion for all the hard situations the Kindrily end up in. This rating will reflect a full 5 stars. That extra star gets added for the extra chapters at the end. I will say no more, but holy gawd I need the next book like now.

[Malu Nóbrega · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENG/ PT-BR

“I’d like to try a different tactic—the opposite of pain, but just as powerful.”
I bit my lip, tingling at the thought that pleasure was the opposite of pain. Please let me be right. Please let me be right.
“Pleasure,” Nathan confirmed. Yesssss.”

• It was brilliant to know that Carson was Rosalie's and Emmet's I mean, Harmony's and Gregory's son.

• That conversation about sex LMAO

• I like that even they being soulmates, they feel uncomfortable, keep secrets and are normal -- in their way.

• Their first date was magical and weird at the same time, not special and completely romantic as the other books describe. It felt real most of the time.

• The end --- what the hell.

To be honest, I didn't like this book soo much because most of the time nothing, and at the same time so much, happened. But I hope the next one will be better.

-

Portuguese

"Gostaria de tentar uma tática diferente - o oposto da dor, mas igualmente poderoso."
Mordi o lábio, tremendo ao pensar que o prazer era o oposto da dor. Por favor, deixe-me estar certa. Por favor, deixe-me estar certa.
"Prazer", Nathan confirmou. Issoooo.”

• Foi brilhante saber que Carson era filho de Rosalie e Emmet de Harmony e Gregory.

• Aquela conversa sobre sexo, SOCORRO.

• Gosto que mesmo almas gêmeas sentem-se desconfortáveis, guardam segredos e são normais - à sua maneira.

• O primeiro encontro deles foi mágico e estranho ao mesmo tempo, não especial e completamente romântico como os outros livros descrevem. Parecia real a maior parte do tempo.

• O fim --- que diabos.

• Para ser sincera, não gostei muito deste livro, porque na maioria das vezes nada e, ao mesmo tempo, tudo, acontecia. Mas espero que o próximo seja melhor.


Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63m...

[Julia26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, finally we have a synopsis and a cover! interesting that it's Harmony on the cover and not Maryah, but I like it!

EDIT:
“Taking Back Forever“ is the second book in The Kindrily series. It’s a series where you don’t have books with a clear end but they continue directly where we left! So the reader doesn’t get a recap of what happened in book 1, which is good because it would afford to many pages! Therefore, if you haven’t read “Grasping at Eternity” or don’t remember all that was going on, read or re-read it first, believe me, it is for your own good.
So Karen Amanda Hooper left us with many unanswered questions but we get a lot of answers in “Taking Back Forever”. Unfortunately after reading it, I had as many new questions but hey, that’s the way it goes! ;-) In the first book we had Nathaniel and Maryah as narrators, in this one we get also Harmony, which makes sense because this book is a lot about her and her search for Gregory. And it was also nice to see Maryah and Nathaniel (love is in the air) through the eyes of another person.
There’s happening a lot in this book (don’t want to spoiler therefore I won’t be more specific) and in the end Karen Amanda Hooper gives us even the choice if we want to finish it with a cliffhanger or stop reading a few chapters before that, because the cliffhanger chapter will also be at the beginning of “Fighting for Infinity” the third book in this amazing series.
I loved this book, the story and the world Karen Amanda Hooper has created is unique, captivating and filled with characters you will love. I recommend this to everyone who loves to read unique, young adult fantasy!

I received an eARC by the author in exchange for an honest review! thanks Karen!

[Cynthia Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book continues right after the first book, however instead of the POV being Maryah and Nathan, you get Maryah and Harmony. I found this a little confusing at first since I read the books back to back. It didn’t take long to fix in my mind however and it totally makes sense once you read it.

The story is mesmerizing and addictive. I love the originality. I love the characterization. Ok I just love everything about this book! One thing I will say is that there are a lot of characters in this story that play a key role in development. At first it is hard to keep them all straight, but each one is unique and contributes to the story in their own way and you fall in love with the whole clan.

I love the sexual tension between Nathan and Maryah and the author does a wonderful job of showing Maryah as a naive seventeen year old girl and Nathan as a much older soul if not in body. It is very realistic and I love Nathan all the more for protecting Maryah the way he does.

I love the ending to the story. It is very interesting that the author leaves us a choice towards the end of the book noting that some people love a cliff hanger and others do not. Personally I like my stories to end and then the next book start again. (not a cliff hanger type it makes me frustrated) She included an alternate ending with a cliff hanger after her warning that if you don’t like cliff hangers stop reading here. This was so cool and original. Of course I couldn't resist and dang it now I need the next book now! Which is why I don’t like cliff hangers...lol

5 stars for me!

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Maryah is not an ordinary 17 year old girl, she is an element, a person who can remember their past lives and has special powers. Even though she cannot remember much from her other lives she is sure that with hard work and the help of her soul mate Nathan she will be able to discover what is missing. While Harmony is happy that Nathan and Maryah have found each other again, she is a bit jealous as she misses her soul mate Gregory, who was kidnaped by The Nefarious almost two decades ago. With Maryah and Nathan rediscovering each other and the Kindrily’s powers increasing, will Maryah be able to learn and use her powers to save Gregory.

Taking Back Forever is the second book in the Kindrily series, which is an enjoyable and quick read. It has a good story, interesting characters and more romance than was in the last book.

I think I like Maryah more in this book than the last as she is a mixture of being strong and confused but she is not as clueless. I also like Nathan as we see him much happier and we get to see his fun and playful side. However, I just could not connect with Harmony, I think because I was more interested in Maryah’s story than hers.

I like this book and will be reading the next book Fighting for Infinity. I would recommend Taking Back Forever to people who enjoyed reading Grasping at Eternity.

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenally well written novel that draws you in right from the get go. Hooper is a master storyteller who combines subtlety with intricate descriptions to captivate her audience with a story that takes the supernatural to a whole new level. There are also some hilariously, awesomely ridiculous moment pop up that make you laugh out loud.

Taking Back Forever is a much more personal novel the first book in the series. You get right inside the lives of the characters. As a reader, you’re no longer a bystander. Hooper continues to develop the characters that we met in the first novel. You get to know more about them individually and their relationships with one another. She also gives us deeper insight into their powers and what they can do.

This novel is the perfect escape from reality. It is a love story (and just plain awesomely unique story) that will stand the test of time right alongside many of the classics.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Wen Baragrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can happily say this is my favorite book of the year so far. I read Grasping at Eternity and loved it, and couldn't wait for this book to come out. Although I loved the first book, this one really grabbed me, and that doesn't happen often with sequels. I found myself so drawn to the characters and their world that even now, over a week after finishing the book, I can't stop thinking about it. It's definitely steamier than the first (a very good thing) and just as much of a page turner. I was up til 3am with the first book, and 4am with this one. When book 3 comes out, I'm not opening it until I have a clear schedule and time to sleep in!

Thank you, Karen, for another awesome story :)

[Leigh Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excitement, action, romance, and a family of what amounts to superheroes.

Loved this story that continues where Grasping at Eternity left off.

Mary/Maryah is slowly getting her memories back, Nate's helping her in really HOT ways... *swoon*, and what's cool about this installment is getting to know Harmony more. She was sort of a secondary character in GAE.

Also, Carson got a lot more fun in this book.

Great writing, great story, can't wait for MORE! :o)

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

the TORUTURE! WHY!?!?!

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me compose myself first because I was literally running around my house after reading this book. I have gone stir-crazy when the story ended; and I knew right after reading this, it was really possible to fall in love with a book as though it’s a handsome guy you bumped in to on the sidewalk.

I did regret that I let I guess three weeks passed before I start reading this because I read the book 1 Grasping at Eternity, for yes, like 3 weeks ago. I regret it! I shouldn't let school stuff got in my way; I should’ve put down any paperwork and started reading this. Because hell, this one has just become one of my favorite books of 2013. I've been a sucker for eternal love since I got my hands on this Kindrily series; I couldn’t exactly explain but there is something about stars, moon, soul mates and eternal love that makes me weak and fall to my knees and just let myself get lost to them. I never knew that I will experience this kind of feels during and after reading this, because Grasping at Eternity was not that kind of a big deal to me, and this one wow, this one awed me bigtime! You wanna know why? Okay let’s get this rolling.


It’s Maryah and Nathan’s story. No More, No Less and No other reason.


It’s still a fresh memory to me how I really looked like while reading their story, I was grinning the whole time and little giggles were coming out of my mouth. They are so magical I thought they lit up my room; and it’s really exaggerated because I think they stirred into life and came out of the page and traversed into my side. See their characters left a really huge impact to me I even used their superpowers to describe how I felt while reading this. Their story has enough blending of romance and humor, it doesn't have that angst that readers usually look for a romance read but well this book has gone beyond romantic, this is magical.


To be honest, I was kind of pissed off to Maryah’s character in Grasping at Eternity but I flipped and loved her here. Her character here really changed and cascaded the old Maryah in the first book. I wouldn't even wish for the Author to do any changes to Maryah’s character because she is perfect in every flip of pages in this book. Even if there are parts where Maryah still thinks that she is the one to blame in everyone that is hurting in their Kindrily, it was fine. I love how she wanted to get back what has been erased to her past life and of course how she willingly let Nathan help her in numerous romantic ways. I like the part when she said here that a Lady should play hard to get sometimes, but she herself couldn’t even play this game well whenever Nathan is around. I do really love how her love for Nathan grew, as if Nathan has not been a stranger to her in her past life, well not really because she was erased. I love how everything surrounds them seems perfect, even though danger is just around and Maryah has still have to get her memory back.

Connecting with Nathan was the key to my past, present, and future. And what a breathtaking key he was, I intended to keep turning that key until I unlocked every power I possessed, every secret in my soul, and every door to my past.


Beautifully written, plotted and crafted. Like what I've said I wouldn’t even wish for the Author to have Maryah’s character molded the other way around, if her character as Mary in her past life was even braver and I guess more aggressive, I am not sure if I will still have that equal amount of love for her character. I am contented on what Maryah is in this story, not so weak and not so strong; she has been capable of thinking rational things despite of what happened to her family maybe because the Luna and their Kindrily was really her family though. Well after loving Maryah’s character, if the Author will continue this story (I hope she will), I thought of Maryah’s character being a badass heroine, based on what Nathan was saying in their past. Maryah was a strong lady and really an epitome of a heroine. Now I think my excitement on how Maryah will kick Dedrick’s ass just increased.

“You want us to get exceptionally hot and heavy as you call it, but you’re depending on me to be strong-willed enough to make sure it doesn’t go too far and…. Turn into a full-blown, mind-bending, star-shaking, more-pleasure-than-this-earth-can-contain, universe-altering, hours upon hours of us making love.”

Holy guacamole, I think I just wished for Nathan to traverse to my side and let me fall asleep in his arms!

Nathan is my new Book Boyfriend. He is Swoon-worthy in every way possible.

Just like Maryah’s character, I also didn't wish Nathan to be any other alpha hero that he is. I love him for what he was in the first book and here, patient, ever-loving, compassionate, brave and sexy soul mate. I put my hands down for his eternal love for Maryah; I lost count on how many times I actually fell in love with his words on how he will do everything just to make every Maryah’s dream come true. How much he was willing to sacrifice to traverse himself with Maryah, even if they both knew that they could travel the world, but the traversing stuff really sits me down. Nathan’s love is overflowing; I think I voluntarily drowned myself in them. And yes I should not forget what a gentleman he is, I was really awe-struck how Karen actually managed blending the lifestyle of the past to the current, that alone made me swoon, and it was really funny because of all those gentlemen of the past thing couldn't even hinder the sexy and kinky character Nathan’s exuding. But I see control in his character, I just couldn't hide my excitement to witness what will happen after all the fuss about this impending matrimony.


Besides from Maryah and Nathan’s story, there are others that you should keep your eyes on to, like Harmony and Gregory and yes Carson and Krista. I won’t tell story about Carson and Krista because I don’t want to spoil the goodness of this book to you, so let’s talk about Harmony and Gregory. No matter how much I wanted to get piss off of Harmony’s character, I just couldn't and I don’t know why. There was a part here where she went all selfish because of her wanting to track down Gregory. But after all those selfishness and I finally saw the heroine in her, I felt like I couldn't admire her character more. She's right for saying that it is really possible to do risky things because of love. And yes I admire her and Gregory’s relationship but not as equal as I do to Maryah and Nathan’s 


About the story, well the Author didn't disappoint me this time, the adventure that I was looking for in the first book just finally came out here. Maryah and Nathan’s eternal love for each other was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat but that was piled by another with the encounter of the kindrily with Dedrick’s gang. The Author just granted my wish of seeing an action-packed part in this wonderful series. And the plotting was really good, I wasn't left in dazed with familiarizing the character and their relationship to one another unlike what the first book did to me. And I kind of like how Karen managed to even put April and River into the picture, because I thought their story will be abandoned after the first book. But well I always love it when the least expected happens.


So to wrap things up, is there anything I should say to show how much I love this book? I was even smiling while writing my review. What I am hoping now is for Karen to continue Maryah and Nathan’s story. I will never get tired of all this stars and soul mates stuff; I am contented with how the story ended, it wasn't a cliffhanger to me though, it’s just, it felt like their story should continue, or maybe their story is not meant to end. This is my first time reading this kind of story about stars and soul mate and even thought I know I will find some books that tell the same story in the future, I will still go back and choose this as my eternal favorite. Thank you to the author, Karen Amanda Hooper,for providing me a copy!

[Charlize · Rating 4 out of 5]

EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST.
More --> romance, action!!!!, plot progression!! (my fav), and CHARACTER INSIGHT!!!

The development of multiple side characters was AMAZING! I knew Harmony was going to have some kind of focus since she was trying to actively find Gregory, but I did not expect a POV. I was pleasantly surprised!! She is so caustic and snarky. Yes, her actions were selfish, but I wasn't annoyed or mad because I understood her pain, and I would do the same if I were in her position.
I never thought I would love Dakota. I did not think much of him in the first book--I regarded him as a background character. But then the author made me care about him and root for him that he quickly rose on my list of character I want to see more of.

The big airport fight and the aftermath of it was so awesome. I was on the edge of my seat!

I was eager to see Maryah develop her powers. I must say that this was one of the more disappointing aspects of the book....while I did enjoy the romance, I felt that it was overdone. I felt like it kept interrupting her practice sessions. I get that it was a trigger, but still! I got frustrated!

Maryah's horniess throughout the book was so annoying lol. Because of the amount of it in the book, it's 4 stars for me. Without it, easily 5 stars!

Well, off to read the final book! I'm so sad it's only the trilogy! I love the characters and the concept!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Starry Sky Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

After really enjoying, Grasping at Eternity, I was so excited to be approved for this one. Taking Back Forever exceeded my expectations, and it was so much better than the first book. And after that cliffhanger ending, I know I'm gonna go crazy not knowing what happens next.

*Possible spoilers. But lots of them if you haven't read Grasping at Eternity. You've been warned.

This book starts off right where the first one ended. Maryah remembers Nathan, but as to her kindrily family, her memories are still blank. Everyone is trying their hardest to help her, especially Nathan.

Taking Back Forever is told in the perspectives of both Maryah, and Harmony, which I loved. After her less than stellar attitude toward Maryah in the first book, she's probably not on everybody's favorite character list. But she's got her reasons. And as you read her thoughts, you start to understand this woman, who sees and talks to ghosts, and who dresses up like a Goth. I found myself liking reading the book through her eyes more than I did through Maryah's. And I understand why the book was told in their views instead of the other Kindrily members. For this book is about Maryah's determination to astral travel again and Harmony's devotion to finding her soul mate, Gregory.

In the ending of Grasping at Eternity, Nathan has a secret, one that could hurt a lot of people. In the beginning of Taking Back Forever, when Harmony asks for Maryah's help in locating Gregory using her astral traveling, that secret comes to light. Gregory isn't just lost to them; he's one of the Nefariouns. He's also the one who killed Maryah's parents and Mikey. It makes Harmony more determined than ever to find her soul mate. Her love for him will never waver, and she will fight to bring him back home. Her determination pushes her, making her desperate. In her desperation, she goes to an unlikely source for help. Some of the choices she makes hurts members of her Kindrily. But they never turn their backs on one of their own.

I love this Kindrily family! It would have been so easy for all of these characters to get lost in the shuffle. It would have been too easy for readers to get confused, because even though there's two main characters, all of the other Kindrily members play key roles in the development of the whole story. That's fifteen characters in total! Well, you can exclude Mikey since he's a baby, but that's still fourteen other characters who are part of this wonderful Kindrily.

So I'm giving the author a big thank you for creating a family tree and putting it in the book. It helped to keep them all separate, and remember who the soul mates are and what powers they each have.

I can't even decide who are my favorites, though Nathan kind of takes the cake. <3 Seriously, he's like the perfect guy. I know, I know. There's no such thing as perfect, even for book boyfriends. But he had me swooning in almost every single scene of his. Maryah is very lucky, indeed.

The only grievance I had with this book was Maryah's character. Sometimes she frustrated me so much I just wanted to scream! I already said that I enjoyed Harmony's POV much more than I enjoyed Maryah's. Some of her reactions to certain situations left me wanting to strangle her. Quite a few of them were just ridiculous.

Maybe this isn't fair of me, but seriously, this girl can be extremely stupid and very naive sometimes. Maybe it's also because her character is much weaker than the woman they've all known throughout the lifetimes. As she grows in her character development, the old Mary is starting to come back. And Maryah is slowly gaining more confidence in herself, and she's more determined than ever to get her memories back.

Oh, and when Harmony and Gregory were reunited, it was just so beautiful! And hilarious! I just know I'm going to love these two as a couple. :)

Now they are one big happy family, except for the part where Gregory has a lot of making up to do with several of the Kindrily members. Dedrick corrupted his mind, but he hurt so many people he loved, especially Harmony and Maryah.

The plot itself was fantastic! I just love this idea of the Kindrily, old souls, and supernatural powers. It's so creative and original. But it did almost seem too easy that Gregory was reunited with them. The fight was very short and two people ended up seriously hurt.

The book is really all about Maryah trying to astral travel again so they can find Gregory. And once they find him, she ended up still looking for Dedrick without her conscious knowing. Why is that? While the Kindrily try to figure it out, they are still glad for a reprieve from the Nefariouns and to have Gregory back. But he knows things. And when secrets come to light about what really happened on the beach at Amber and Dylan's wedding last life, it's too much for them to think Dedrick will stop coming after them. For not only do they have Edgar, someone with a supernatural power that the evil Element wants, but they have Maryah. Because with her erased memories, they won't know what he wants with her. And until then, none of them are safe.

And that cliffhanger ending! OH MY GOD. The author even warned me! She gave an alternate ending, a cliffhanger ending, for the readers who wanted it. I must love torturing myself, because that was one evil cliffhanger! So many feels!

I really want the next book. Like, right now. Taking Back Forever raised the bar high, and after that ending, it's gonna be a loooooong wait.

I don't even know when Fighting for Infinity will be out. UGH.

Full review at: http://skizzles22hu.blogspot.com/2013...

[Jennifer Madero (Boricuan Bookworms) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still cant start it until at least next week :( But while drawing, this song started to play and its exactly how I imagine Nathaniel is when Grasping at Eternity ends and (hopefully) a few things might be in Taking Back Forever. The song is I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz and I'm all giddy because it goes so much and asdfghjkl <3

Review Edit

Ebook copy provided by author in exchange of an honest review

Rating: ALL THE STARS! Okay no it's only five, but I'd give more if I could <3

Taking Back Forever is the second book in the Kindrily Series, coming after Grasping At Eternity review

After Maryah has a close encounter to death and a glance at the life she used to have with her soul mate Nathaniel, maybe life could have gone a bit easier now. Not. She goes in a journey to recover back the memories of her past lives, control astral travel, and find the one person responsible for all the tragic events happening in her Kindrily, Dedrick.

The story begins going to the point, not wasting time re-introducing everything and everyone. Some people might find this confusing or inexperienced, but I liked it because there are stories where you need that or else it's like a boat leaving you stranded in the middle of the sea with nothing. Here I didn't find it that necessary. Obviously, there were some things that the author had to clear up at the beginning chapters, but it flowed easy and effortlessly, it just fit there, not giving me information I didn't want.

I admit, I had the expectation that I'd have more action in this book. I'm not saying it didn't have, because it sure did and it's mind-blowing. But the succession and course of this book is a bit slow. It's like it's preparing you for a big blow in the end, and a build-up for when the real battle comes in the following books.

It's nothing to worry about, because you'll be well payed with the romance and sexy scenes between Maryah and Nathan.



Here we see how Maryah starts to grow more into this person everyone in the Kindrily knew. Though, with that comes doubt to her that she'll never be that person again, the person Nathan loves, even when he says he loves as how she is now.

And Nathan... Oh God...

"The epitome of handsome and debonair, he put James Bond to shame"

How is someone supposed to react to those words of Maryah referring to Nathan? Ehh... Probably like this... xD


The secondary characters are so lovely and likeable! How can anyone not like them? My favorites are Eightball and Carson. Haha. Not everyone can pull of to make so many characters for a story, and keep them alive and present in it without being boring or you forgetting who they are. It's like they were part of people I knew from real life, and I'm sure that's how the author wanted it to look like. This time instead of the story being told from Maryah's and Nathan's point of view, we have instead of Nathan Harmony's point of view. It was something fresh and interesting, because we were able to see things her own way, know what she's suffering after losing her soulmate and the other side of the story of when she's searching for him while in the other hand, Maryah is training in her travels and recovering of memory

I thought that this book couldn't be any better than the first. Boy was I wrong. The soul mates and souls topic is so big and beautiful, it's hard not to believe in it. And be jealous of Maryah... Sorry, my fingers are working on their own on that last sentence... hahaha not. Anywayyyyyys, I simply don't have enough words to say how amazing, compelling, fascinating, irresistible, heart-killing this story is.

Future advice for anyone: This is the first time an author writes a warning about a cliffhanger in a book I read. Which makes me love Karen a whole lot more. But hey, if someone tells you to be careful and there's a cliffhanger, hey don't be so masochistic! Listen! I didn't and ended like this when I read it...



But read at your own discretion. I liked some of the cliffhanger. And it guarantees that I WILL read the next book when it comes out, maybe in a year... *makes whale crying noises*. But as Nathan says here..

"... the anticipation of an enjoyable experience is as pleasurable as the experience itself..."

Yeah Nathan, easy for you to say. You have more patience than me.

Honestly, one of the best books I've read in this year. If I had the book in paperback format (which I intend to once I have money...), it would be worn out from the many times I'd read it, mark it, cry in it, and so on. And I'm not a person who can cry so easily.

I want to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read her story. It was amazing asdfghjkl;' yeah... I'm such a fangirl of it haha. Truthfully amazing.


Aaaaand, as of now, I'm like this, still. It's a wonder I was able to write a proper review. I might edit it later, but yeah...

[Jeddidiah Namiah Parico · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Not every star is destined to shine forever. Some of us are meant to quietly fade away."

*I might reveal something you wouldn't want to know. so if I were you, read the book first*

The story picked up from where it has ended in Grasping for Eternity. Reading this as a stand-alone will get you to nothing as it will send you to a whirlwind of story.

~XXXXXXXXX~

MY GODS!
It has been forever since I posted some review. Lucky me, I get to have the time today so yeah. I've been very busy lately (studies, blood extracting, exams and all...) so I am sooo sorry I haven't given the blog some pretty justice. Forgive me. Anyway, my thoughts are here and nothing can stop it. Muahahaha. (((:<

~XXXXXXXXX~

"It's amazing how much more you appreciate someone after you've lost them. Her happiness mean everything to me. I want to give her the world, the magical and beauiful one she can no longer see, but I worry that's no longer possible."

So, I was basically intoxicated with the Kindrily Series and I can't get them out of my system. Why? Simple. Because they're teens with superpowers and they're so beautiful, I want to be one of them. This can uncontrollably go wrong and I am so insatiable right now I don't know what to do! I might even mess up the review since I can't verbalize the things that goes inside my head.

Moving on...
The book contained two POVs: One is from Maryah and the other was from Harmony.

Once again, the author captured me with her flowery words through this book. There are times when you just wanted to stop reading to prolong the agony (yes, prolonging your reading time shortens the length of days for the release of Fighting for Infinity), but you don't have to do that. I only did it because I have my own personal reasons. Back to my review. I was, again, amazed and filled with Maryah and Nate's love for one another, and Krista's and Carson's sudden love affair (I'll have to deal with this later, Karen understands why).

The story elevates to a somehow, more mature and steamier level but it didnt go off all the way which is exactly perfect. The excitement just bursts out of me thinking about...things. Hahaha! It's still the YA read we all love and the relationship status JUST. GOTTEN. DEEPER. I could just swallow my phone while reading from it.

I am sooooo eager to read Fighting for Infinity that I am horribly guessing who the other POV will be. One commenter on goodreads changed my view and I shifted, having Gregory fill the story. Muahahahaaha <~ evil laugh *clears throat*

Anyway, the book. Ah yes, the book! It was very real. Imagine yourself astral traveling while the story happens. That's what I felt while reading the story. Though, it went really motile, I can't help but just be really crazy about the exercises Maryah wants. She's so willing to really excel in astral traveling with Nate's help. Another seat-shifting scenario comes with Harmony and Gregory's. They're once again reunited and finally! Isn't that just sweet. Plus the comeback surprise Harmony throwed Gregory when she finally woke up from her wandering around for the moment, once with Dakota. They were able to break the spell stupid evil Dedrick has placed upon him. I hate him.

Ranting about...
As you can see, if you've read the book, I mean, Carson, the love of my life, is super intoxicated with Krista. The nerve. LOL. I don't hate her. I love her with all my heart. But just imagining them together, making out and doing things, just breaks me. Emotionally, though. HAHA. I guess I'll just have to side with Dakota though Harmony did approved. I just so freaking love him I don't want him to end up with Krista. Again, I don't hate her. But I can't change the stars so I gotta let them be. It's just so haaaard. And can I just um, rant about River here? I know he's part of the past,but we can still see glimpses of him in this books. One specifically.. I just remembered what Karen told me about River... Anyway, I did mention (see my goodreads updates about Grasping at Eternity) that I hate River from the start to the end of the series. Can you blame me? The guy is a stupid mess! The mere mention just gives me the stupid-stalkerish-creeps *w h a t*

I've read two endings. I wouldn't brag more about that since I have respect for the other readers and to the author. It was actually fine with me, how the book will end. Either way, I know it would end up really good and perfect, though, I'd prefer it the more exciting and more elevated it would get. More scenes *shifts* and action-pack scenarios will also do. I wanna cry pearls and diamonds! LOL.

"A secret shared between two people is a powerful bond. Some are good, some are bad, but the secrets of life and this world are what make it fascinating."

[Seirra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A review copy was provided for an honest review. It pleases me to say that Taking Back Forever was worth waiting for. Hooper yet again writes with sophistication and aptitude. Maryah's story continues on its engrossing path of trying to figure out why she erased. Diving right in it felt like I've never left the world where Kindrily's exist and soul mates reincarnate together. This series pulls you in swiftly and engages you from page one. I thought reading Grasping at Eternity was such pleasure until I picked up the sequel and was just as captivated all over again. Every beloved character from the previous book is back with their individually distinctive personalities. Some make more of an appearance than others but that barely registers when you're immersed in the characters that feel so near and dear to the readers heart. Some of my favorites became a bigger part of the story such as Harmony, Carson, Krista, and Dakota which was cool.

Having finally remembered a glimmer of her past life with Nathan Maryah is determined to recall it all. However her mind has other ideas such as randomly conjuring up strange premonitions. Meanwhile Harmony is done waiting around for Maryah to relearn her gift of astral projection and she knows it's now or never to take action to get her soul mate Gregory back. But when Harmony finally learns the truth of what happened to her beloved she's willing to do whatever it takes to locate him even if it means going against her Kindrily. As Maryah tries to regain her memories she knows that with each passing day the Nefariouns are preparing for something big and nefarious and that she has to be ready.

Taking Back Forever is told from alternating perspectives between Maryah and Harmony. Out of all the Kindrily members Harmony is a bit of a rebellious chick who doesn't play by anyone's rules but her own which evidently comes to bite her on the a** more often than not. Her personality is at times a little too full of attitude but it was very interesting to understand her thoughts and view her take on Maryah's situation. The story takes its time to unfold because it focuses on the characters more and their emotional struggles. I really felt for Maryah whose constantly trying to live up to the version of herself that she once was--the version that she can't remember. It's both a sad and heartbreakingly beautiful story of a reincarnated soul who chose to forget all her previous lives including her soul mate to escape something far worse than death. Nathan is one of the most considerate and patient guys in dealing with his loss and gain of a soul he's loved for hundreds of years. Maryah struggles with who she is and who she knows herself to be and it's difficult for everyone. I love that even though her and Nathan are soul mates that they're getting to know each other at a proper speed and taking their time to move forward in their relationship. I think most YA novels nowadays have the love interests fall for each other so fast their is never any growth or development so it always feels redundant and stale. Taking Back Forever moves in the opposite direction and actually builds up the tension, takes slow but necessary steps in dealing with the romance and it feels more believable to how reality is. I enjoyed each and every character and I'm excited to see their entwining stories in the future. More than a few times I forgot this was a young adult novel because some scenes are borderline adult. The first book had a young-adult feel but this one felt like a new adult read so I'd recommend it for 16 years or older for mature content.

As expected Taking Back Forever is just as fantastic as Grasping at Eternity was. Although their isn't a whole lot of action the character's conflicts really propel the story forward so it never feels like it's losing momentum or amusement. I think what I was most excited to get from this sequel was answers from all the questions brought up in the first novel but unfortunately few were offered. While I was a little let down it's hard to be mad when a story is so consuming that by the end your just left wanting more. Which brings us to how badly I want to read the third book in the series. For those new to these books and are deciding whether or not it's worth reading my answer to you is heck yes it's an incredibly refreshing story with top-notch writing all the way through with wonderful deliverance and potential to successfully continue that way. Be sure to read Grasping at Eternity before picking this one up and you surely won't regret it! All in all Taking Back Forever is a remarkable continuation of a unique young-adult story with a supernatural twist.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I say that I was over the moon to receive this book from the author herself and I couldn't wait to jump right into it. I had missed the characters I fell in love with and also wanted to shake senseless (SNOW GLOBES - inside joke *big grin*). And boy, did this reference to the snow globes become so relevant to the story *another big grin - love that Karen!!* But, what is most wonderful about revisiting these old, familiar friends is that we get to delve more into them as characters and the story begins to unfold.

Taking Back Forever picks off exactly where Grasping to Eternity left off, with everyone desperately in search of Gregory and bringing him back to their family. You see, Gregory is Harmony's soul mate and is in the hands of the villain who is out to ruin and destroy their Kindrily, for reasons that have not yet been revealed. Maryah is the key to all of this and like her, it's frustrating not knowing the reasons why she not only erased, but why this is happening to them all. So many questions still needed answering and we begin to peel back the layers slowly in this story. The steady pace it took on was wonderful and the many interactions between the characters well well played and thought out. I especially loved the beautiful scenes with Nathan and Maryah. She, like every teenager in love wanted to rush things, but Nathan, being the old soul and ever the gentlemen wanted to take his time. Such a romantic and you couldn't help but sigh and the many amazing moments he wanted to have with Maryah, who wanted nothing but to rip his clothes off, and who could blame her LOL. But the tension, the tenderness and the sexy moments stole the book for me. I swear, any time Nathan gently caressed her skin, seriously made me lose my mind. I was so caught up in their foreplay and their flirtations. It was like being in love for the first time, not only for Maryah but for me also LOL. Love love love their encounters with one another. Although, these rendezvous were not only a way to get intimate, they also were a way to work on Maryah's powers. Each time they got really "hot and bothered" Maryah would begin to tap into her memory or begin to increase her awareness of her abilities and learn how to use them again. She never stopped blaming herself for erasing and putting everyone in her Kindrily in danger and wanted desperately to protect them in every way she could. I really admired her and she had definitely grown since the first book.

Not only is the story this time around told from Maryah's POV but we get to know all about Harmony's thoughts as well. Whom, by the way, I wanted to throttle. She needed to be shook like a snow globe, and not Maryah. And, although I completely understood Harmony's choices and the reasons as to why she never gave up no matter what the consequences, she still needed a slap or two LOL. Her will and drive to rescue her soulmate, Gregory, is endearing, I felt that she went around in the wrong way, but I suppose we would do the same for the ones we love. She is bald and brash and does not care what anyone thinks. She goes straight for the jugular and has no remorse about it. Towards the end, she let up a bit and we began to see the more softer side to her and that's why I couldn't help but truly appreciate all her efforts and her bad ass self. She indeed, is a unique character who really deserves the spotlight in this continuing story.

So much goes down in Taking Back Forever, and before I finish up, I just wanted to thank Karen Amanda Hooper for writing an amazing series but for also giving me an ARC to read. And, I also wanted to note that around 94% in we are given a choice on whether we want to finish reading the book there, or push through and read till we reach the "cliffhanger." I could not resist and of course chose to read through and boy oh boy oh boy, did I not listen. Oh, what a cliffhanger Karen has weaved. It is truly one that makes you wish you did stop only to know that you have another year or so to wait for the next book so you can continue reading, but hey, what fun would that be to not be left hanging. I know I love it!! The choice is yours. Bravo Karen for the option and bravo for writing another wonderful book. Can't wait for the next one EEEEEEEPPPPPP.

[Rachmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

There are two opposite things I felt after reading this sequel of Grasping at Eternity from Kindrily series.

First, I can feel and see Nathan and Maryah are soulmate. His love for her is unlimited, sweet and full of passion all at the same time. In some part I'm quite frustrated with his determination to take slow their relationship. He wants Maryah to know him first, take it slowly and the way he keeps saying that they better wait until they marry and it will be worth it remind me of Edward Cullen. In this part I can see that he has live long enough with so much control than the new Maryah. Yet, I can feel their sexual tension. They are soulmate who has live many lives with the same passion as they use to have.



The other thing is this story is slower than the prequel, make me quite bored. More than half of the story keeps me wondering whether or not there will be something happen and if it really happen when will it be. I think this book is about finding a way to regain Maryah's power and bring back Gregory to the Kindrily. As much as I understand how hard to regain Maryah's power, I think she doesn't try enough. First, she is trained by Faith but she doesn't take it seriously then Nathan trains her but most of it I see it as a make out session for them, to build their sexual tension. It doesn't mean I'm complaining but I want something more from Maryah. I want to see Mary the kickass, as her friends always tell her. Although she doesn't remember her life before and doesn't realize how powerful she was, I kind of hope that she is more determine to bring it back and do something about it. In this part, they disappointed me.



Just like its prequel, this book also written in two different POV but instead of Maryah and Nathan this time Harmony who accompany Maryah speak to me. And the way Karen Amanda Hooper wrote is more than good. I can see how different Maryah and Harmony are. Maryah is powerless and clueless while Harmony is tough and fearless. Although she tends to act first then think, I begin to love her more than other characters. As for the other characters, they have more stories here. I love Krista and Carson, love Dakota, and even love Sheila.

Because of Maryah's choice, she cannot remember her past. Hence, I rely on other Kindrilies to tell it. What really happen to her in her first life time together with the Kindrily surprised me. It really intertwines their life forever with their enemy, Dedrick. Although it makes me have hate/love feeling to Maryah, I love it that way, I think it is a reasonable reason for Dedrick and the Kindrily.

As a sequel, there are only a little bit clues to answer the big question, why did Mary choose to erase. But that little bit clue is effective, make me wondering so many scenarios of Maryah's reasons. It makes me eager to read next book, Fighting for Infinity. But whatever her reason I hope it is a very good and important reason to do what she chose. I have questions after read this book that I hope I can get the answer in next sequel what makes Maryah has a power or ability to grand someone become an element (Krista, Mickey and maybe Dakota), why the kindrily or some of them get more ability than before (Dylan, Nathan and Krista)



Note: To honor Sheila's life I have songs I think suitable for her last life. It called Death is the Road to Awe and Xibalba, both are by Clint Mansell from The Fountain music score. Here are the link to YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr0NB...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2pza...