I rarely give a five-star rating to a book, but I couldn’t bring myself to give Fire in the Woods by Jennifer M. Eaton anything less. Before I give you my review, here’s a little bit about the book.
Title: Fire in the Woods
Publication date: September 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Jennifer M. Eaton
When a plane crashes in the woods near Jess’s home, the boy of her dreams falls out of the sky—literally. But David’s not here to find a girlfriend. He’s from another planet, and if Jess can’t help him get back to his ship, he’ll be stuck on Earth with nothing to look forward to but the pointy end of a dissection scalpel.
But her father runs their house like an army barracks, and with an alien on the loose, Major Dad isn’t too keen on the idea of Jess going anywhere. Ever. So how the heck is she supposed to help the sweetest, strangest, and cutest guy she’s ever met?
Hiding him in her room probably isn’t the best idea. Especially since her Dad is in charge of the squadron searching for David. That doesn’t mean she won’t do it. It just means she can’t get caught.
Helping David get home while protecting her heart—that’s gonna be the hard part. After all, she can’t really fall for a guy who’s not exactly from here.
As they race through the woods with Major Dad and most of the U.S. military one breath behind them, Jess and David grow closer than either of them anticipated. But all is not what it seems. David has a genocide-sized secret, and one betrayal later, they are both in handcuffs as alien warships are positioning themselves around the globe. Time is ticking down to Armageddon, and Jess must think fast if she’s to save the boy she cares about without sacrificing Earth—and everyone on it.
Now, onto my Review. Make sure you read all the way to the end to enter a Giveaway and earn a chance to win a very special present.
My Review
Let me start out by saying I don’t read a lot of Science Fiction. in fact, I don’t read any science fiction, but I LOVE Sci Fi movies and t.v. shows like Star Trek, Star Wars, Independence Day and most recently on t.v., Extant. Why do I like them? Because there are these little guys running through the plots
So, I suppose it’s no wonder I really enjoyed Fire in the Woods because it also has aliens, but they don’t look like this little guy.
No, the one in particular in Fire in the Woods is a hottie. You know. Tall, dark hair, turquoise eyes and to top it off, he’s incredibly innocent which just makes him as charming as an alien can get. It’s no wonder our heroine, Jess, falls head over heals for the dude, especially since he takes on the form of a teen idol heart-throb actor that is burned in her recent memories.
What did I love about this book?
First of all, the pacing. It’s quick. I barely had time to recuperate from one scene before a new one started. For a YA read, this is very important because teens tend to like quick-paced books. There is no let up from the beginning to the end. What a roller coaster ride.
Next, I really enjoyed the voice of the main character. Jess is a typical teen. One moment she’s strong and knows what she wants, the next she’s scared, unsure, but determined. Once she gets something in her head, she doesn’t let it go. She has to see it through no matter what the consequences, even if it ticks off her military-tough dad. All that is important is that she stands by her principles and does what she thinks is right.
Our alien, David, is scared. All he wanted to do was earn points in his own father’s eyes, and as the story progresses, the reader falls deeply in love with his character, his faults, and more importantly to do what is right by his people and Jess’.
Too bad there are grown ups involved – both alien and human – who think they know better than the kids, and get in the way, and almost destroy everything Jess and David have built.
The book touches on so many issues like parent/child relationships, interspecies relationships and following your conscience and what you know is right no matter what anyone else says, does or believes.
Beneath all the running and explosions and fire and possible world annihilation, there is a sweet little romance theme that will keep girls turning the pages.
What I didn’t like?
At times I wanted the book to slow down a bit so I could catch my breath. Sometimes I felt rushed to get to the end, but not enough to make me stop reading.
I wish there had been a bit more time to develop the relationship between David and Jess. It seemed too quick and easy that Jess fell in love with someone she didn’t know. She also seemed too accepting of the whole alien thing, but not enough that I couldn’t suspend belief.
I would have liked a bit more of a tease at the end, creating a desire to HAVE to read book 2. As it was, the storyline wrapped up quite well, but I didn’t get a sense of urgency that I HAD to return to find out what happened next. Of course, the snippet in the back of the book for Book 2 – Ashes in the Sky – solved that issue and has me salivating like Pavlov’s dog for more.
So, to sum it up, if you like YA, science fiction, action-packed adventure, and romance, you’re going to love Fire in the Woods. It’s an un-put-downable book that will have you thinking about its many messages for several days after you read it.
I was given an ARC of the book from Month9Books in exchange for an honest review. I also read this as a beta reader and thoroughly enjoyed watching this novel grow from infancy into the fantastic novel that it is.
And now for the:
GIVEAWAYS!!!
Winner will be drawn October 25, 2014
Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Fire in the Woods by Jennifer M. Eaton (INT).
One lucky winner will win One (1) custom-made necklace (used as inspiration for the necklace in Fire in the Woods). Adjustable chain from 10 to 12 inches. T (US ONLY)
All you have to do is go to the Rafflecopter link below and enter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e229/
Book info
Anything and everything you want to know about Fire in the Woods is below, including links to where you can purchase.
Goodreads
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | iBooks
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corporate Team Leader by day, and Ranting Writer by night. Jennifer M. Eaton calls the East Coast of the USA home, where she lives with her husband, three energetic boys, and a pepped up poodle.
Jennifer hosts an informational blog “A Reference of Writing Rants for Writers (or Learn from My Mistakes)” aimed at helping all writers be the best they can be.
Beyond writing and motivating others, she also enjoys teaching her dog to jump through hoops—literally.
Jennifer’s perfect day includes long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but her greatest joy is using her over-active imagination constructively… creating new worlds for everyone to enjoy.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Jennifer M. Eaton is a contemporary blender of Science Fiction, Dystopian, and Romance. Her work ranges from the sweet contemporary romances of Paper Wishes, to the dystopian society of Last Winter Red and Optimal Red, with a dusting of young adult paranormal just for fun in The First Day of the New Tomorrow.
Jennifer Eaton lives on the East Coast USA with her husband, three boys, and a pepped up poodle. She hosts an interactive website 
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