Shadows by Paula Weston!

Book Summary:

It’s been almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant.

It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn. And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams, he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense.

Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth – and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.

Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly – who can she trust?

SHORT REVIEW:

That was fucking awesome! And just a bit overwhelming. But I loved it! I'm really curious and anxious and excited to go on in this series. Not only that, but I'm going hysterical with all the things that could, would, and should happen. But I know Paula Weston will surprise us.
Gaby was a great main character. And I'm not just saying that. She was tough, fierce, and snarky. I liked her a lot. But I liked Rafa SO MUCH MORE. He was such a jerk, it was beautiful! Hopefully, more romance will come in the next book and more info on Jude.
I seriously fell in love with Shadows!

LONG REVIEW:

(may have a bit of spoilers; not really though)

The way this book was written kept me captivated the whole way through. Gaby was a great main character and I'm not just saying that. It totally sucks that she had to lose her memory, though. Gaby and Gabe were so different yet so alike. I liked Gabe, but all those decisions she made? It was almost as if she was being controlled. I also liked Gaby but everyone said she was 'softer'. I like a strong and independent main character that usually intimidates others. To me, being weak or softer isn't very ideal.
Gaby only really bothered me when it came to her fighting. She was supposedly this kickass fighter that was amazing. And now? Not so much. I hated that. But it got a little better when instinct kicked in and she actually could fight. But that rush of adrenaline didn't last long.
Rafael and Gabe were supposedly the best fighters there were. I liked that a lot because it was almost as if they had this connection or competition. But now? Gaby can barely fight unless she doesn't think. And until she can get all that shit under control again, I bet Rafa is going to be playing hero a lot.

I really want to know what happened between Gaby and Jude. What even happened to them? And if the memory loss thing happened to both of them? So many questions, but not that many answers. In the end of Shadows, we only got a bit of answers at the end. But that's the point of making this book a series. You can't just spill everything at once.

Rafa was totally hot. Sexy. Smoldering. Dashing. Whichever you prefer. The point is: he is just amazing.
The romance between Rafa and Gaby wasn't enough for me, though. It almost felt like Rafa wasn't really into it and was just getting a kick out of it with lust. You could tell Gaby truly had feelings for him, though. I thought it was really stupid that she asked Rafa to have sex with her towards the end. Not only is that practically rushed, but it's wrong timing. You don't have the two main characters almost naked in bed in only the first book! You've gotta take it slow. But not too slow. I like a little steamy romance here and there. Even a hot makeout session sounds nice.
So basically, when it came to the romance, there wasn't enough feeling for me. I still liked it, though. I'm hoping/expecting more from the next book, though.

Let's see, what now? Ah, yes. The plot. Why did I feel like it mainly just had to do with saving Maggie? I know it did have to do with saving her, but everything else? Jeez, why don't we just make Maggie the freaking main character?
You know what's funny? I'm saying all this stuff yet I give the book five stars. Eh, whatever. Not every book is perfect. But this one was still really good.

The action didn't have enough Gaby in it. And whenever Gaby was in the action, she barely did anything. I hated how Taya, Malachi and pretty much everyone else wasn't intimidated by her. They treated her like she was some fragile human! It made me angry.
I really really want Gaby to get her memory back. It'll explain so much! And I want to see a change in her. Not only that, but what did Rafa do that should make Gaby hate him? The questions are literally killing me. Paula Weston did really well writing Shadows and it felt good to actually read something that kept my attention from the very start.

Daniel, A.K.A. Pretty Boy, had some major issues going on. Honestly? How could someone like Gabe or Gaby ever fall for him? He seemed like a control freak. I didn't really like him.
Jason was a total perk. He was total hotness wrapped in a coat of sweetness. Maggie's definitely got a keeper when it comes to him.
What can I say about Simon other than the fact that he needs to fuck off and mind his own business, no matter how attractive he is.

I can't say much about Jude because I haven't even met him yet, but I have this undying urge to finally meet him. I like his character a lot, from what I've been told. So, high hopes for how he turns out!

I feel like I could go on and on about each and every single character, but it just feels wrong to do that for a review. So, I'll try to stay focused on the book: Spectacular, amazing, fantastic, freaking awesome, magnificent, electrifying, refreshing, magnetic, ultimately wonderful.

Basically, it was just really good and I recommend it to any paranormal romance reader or anyone who read Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick or Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.