Review: Independence by Shelly Crane

Independence
Significance #4

Author: Shelly Crane

Publication Date: December 18, 2012

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

In the fourth and final installment, Maggie and Caleb must tie up all the loose ends of their lives and make a way to be together completely on their own. With everything that happened with Bish and Maggie's father, she's almost reluctant to move on and move out. And now she must figure out all of this...stuff...with Haddock. But of course, nothing can stay simple for the Jacobsons. Enemies who were thought to be dissolved have decided to not go down so easily. And old flames come calling for more than just Maggie. Caleb is torn between leading his family and personal wants. Maggie is torn between Caleb and being the leader of their people. But neither will let what they need most to be pushed to the wayside. They are determined to make it all work, design a plan toward destiny, and make everything right again for themselves and their family. 

And then there's a wedding...

My Thoughts: I had been waiting on this novel for what seemed a very long time.  When I finally held it in my hands (or rather, my Kobo with it newly loaded) I almost did a happy dance.  Okay, maybe I did do a happy dance.  I was so completely invested in Caleb and Maggie that it took no time for me to pick up exactly where I left off in the series.

This is the last book in a four book series that I adore.  If you check out my review for the first one, here, then you will know that I love the premise, background, lore and characters that are present throughout the series. It is also the first book that I wrote a review on, so the series has a special place in my heart.  But regardless of that, it is still one that is definitely worth checking out.

Maggie and Caleb are finally getting everything they have wanted, dreamed of and even seen.  Now that they both have their own places carved out for them in their world everything is beginning to come together.  That doesn't mean that they aren't overcome with hardships on the way though.  I did find that in this last novel, things weren't quite as dramatic as the previous ones.  Some of the tie-ups were very anti-climatic and almost strange how they happened, but at least everything got settled.

By the end of the novel, everything was tied up in a neat little bow - just as the end of the series should be.  It didn't leave you asking questions.  I also LOVED how at the end in the epilogue you get a sneak peek into the future after all of this is finished.  It really just added the icing to the top of the cake and made me feel like the story was really complete.

Given how much I loved the Significance series, Shelly Crane anything from Shelly Crane is definitely on my TBR pile.

Review: Significance by Shelly Crane

Significance
Significance Series #1

Author: Shelly Crane

Publication Date: June 12, 2011

Publisher: Not Listed

Genre: Paranormal Romance

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Synopsis:

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.
Then she meets Caleb. She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing but she is supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.
They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.
Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.
Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

My Thoughts: Who would have thought that stopping a guy from getting obliterated by a truck at an intersection would change your life forever? Maggie pulled a stranger away from imminent death only to find out that he is the cousin of the boy she was on her way to meet. When their skin touches they imprint, right in front of Kyle – the poor guy who has been in love with Maggie for years and finally revved up the nerved to do something about it.

I enjoy reading about imprints, it is the main reason I read werewolf novels. I love the complicated-ness of it, the suddenness of it and the force of it. The thought that there is one person in the world made solely for you and vice-versa, made to be your perfect equal, is romantic to say the least. I loved that this story is about imprints (called Significants) but has nothing to do with werewolves. It sets out its own guidelines and back story. For instance, once someone has found their Significant they can’t bear to be apart and need to touch until they finish the ritual to bond them. If they are away from each other their bodies and emotions suffer a great amount of torment until they are together again.

Maggie is a sweet girl who pretty much looks after herself. She was a bit reminiscent of Bella Swan, I thought, but given that she has to touch Caleb or suffer through some sort of a drug-withdrawal I kind of understood.

Before the imprint with Maggie, I loved Caleb. He was charming, handsome and a good guy. After they bond he is protective, loving and swoon-worthy. I love that he tried his absolute best not to rub his and Maggie’s sudden relationship in his Cousin Kyle’s face, but put his foot down with Kyle when he got a bit out of control.

Kyle was the guy I felt sorry for and kind of hated all at the same time. In the future novels of the series I come to like Kyle a lot more than I did during Significance. In Significance Kyle is the poor guy whose girl got stolen from him right at the cusp of finally going on a semi-date with her.

Overall, I enjoyed Significance and the rest of the Significance Series. I am eagerly awaiting the final novel from Crane!