Characters:
Sarah Serenity Tillman is an 18yo do-gooder.
Brudiar "Dair" is a dream weaver who has been around since the beginning of time and has never been in love.
Emma Jean Whitmore is an 8yo genius with the ability to see things, like angels and the sandman, that most people can't see.
Darla is Serenity's aunt who is just as much of a do-gooder as Serenity.
Wayde is a dirty joke loving handy man who happens to be Serenity's Uncle.
Willa is another of Serenity's aunts who has less of a filter that Glory.
Glorious "Glory" Day is a 22yo waitress with no filter. She's Serenity's bff.
Raphael is an angel who watches over Emma and happens to be Dair's bff.
Mildred is Emma's horrible aunt with a hoarding problem and the reputation of town whore.
Rat is a scum of the earth individual who frequents Mildred's house and would love for Emma to be his little slave. I tagged racist as one of the shelves for this individual. Racism isn't really covered in this book.
Wilson Turner is one of Dair's missions.
Jackson is the hot vet volunteer that Serenity works with.
Pets:
Mr. Whitherby is Serenity's cat.
Pugsly is a well-behaved pug at the vets.
Orange cat - Emma's lazy roommate who can't catch a mouse
Mouse - clever roommate of Emma's. He always manages to elude the cat.
PLOT
Beginning:
Dair comes to weave Serenity a dream, but he is quickly enamored by her and sticks around after his mission is complete. During one of the dreams he weaves, he brings in another individual to convince her to stay in her boring mountain town, Yellville, Arkansas. Emma winds up doing the exact opposite by not only revealing that the Sandman, Dair, is the one putting the thoughts in her head, but also that Serenity doesn't have to do what he says.
When this happened, I actually thought that Dair inserted himself in the dream as the little girl. I thought it was funny when I found out it wasn't him and that Emma was somehow connected to Serenity's destiny. I thought it was even funnier when Dair influenced Serenity's teacher to do a lesson on him.
Later, Serenity prepares herself to confront the Sandman and he reveals that he basically wants to make her his woman. Getting to read from Dair's perspective made it a little less creepy, but I was going to flip in a bad way if Serenity just up an accepted him into her life with no reservations. She tells him to go away for a weak so that she can think about it. During this time, she longs for him. I can't blame her for being curious.
When he returns, Serenity tells him that he doesn't have to leave. I was so happy for Dair. I really liked it that neither of them had ever been in a relationship. Despite having no experience, their romance was pretty dang hot.
Middle (SPOILER SECTION)
Dair and Serenity begin dating. Emma's parents get shot and she is sent to live with Mildred. Mildred is a hoarder. Emma can't even lay down before clearing off all the junk on her bed. Not to mention their is a cat and a mouse that like to share her room. Oh! And Mildred, despite being filthy, has a ton of guest over all the time. They do drugs in front of Emma, and she has to serve them like a slave. At one point, one of the male guests, Rat, busts through her door and hits her in the face. I could have sworn he was going to rape her. Fortunately, Raphael steps in at just the right time to tell him to get lost.
Emma has a tough lot in life, but she finds joy at the library and with her guardian angel, Dair, Serenity, and Serenity's family. I really loved her character. I also liked all of the saying her mom told her.
After a while, I figured out exactly how Emma's and Serenity's destinies were connected. Some would probably agrue that the book is too predictable if I was able to guess EXACTLY what would happen, but I beg to differ. Quinn did such a good job with the character development that it made it easy for me to figure out because I felt like I really knew all of them and what they were capable of.
It's rare to see a do-gooder character in a book. It was necessary to the plot line that Serenity be a do-gooder. Without this personality trait, there wouldn't have been a book, or at least it wouldn't have been as good. I loved how Quinn showed Serenity through Dair's eyes first. Serenity doesn't she herself as a do-gooder. She doesn't realize how special and rare she is.
I love Dair. I balled my eyes out when he learned how Emma and Serenity were connected. In the very beginning, I just thought that Serenity somehow had a black cousin and the aunt Emma was getting sent to was Darla. I was dead wrong on that guess. Anyway, when Dair found out and was raising his voice at God, I really felt for him. I wanted there to be another way.
Then, Raphael is having these conversations with Emma about why angels can't interfere with freewill. I was like "Oh, crap, this is really going to happen."
End: (SPOILER SECTION)
Dair struggles with the knowledge he has received from God and decides to keep it to himself. At one point, Willa is having a talk with Serenity, and I was like "Nooooooo!" I just knew it was about to happen despite the kindle saying I had 20% left. I really didn't think it was going to happen when it did. I knew as soon as she got in the car that it was going to. I was like a moviegoer who screams at a horror movie telling the character not to go inside. It was weird because I wanted it to happen. After all of the explanations from God and Raphael, I was like, this needs to happen. At the same time, I worried for Dair. I also had this hope that it would happen and she would somehow become immortal so that she could be with Dair forever.
After the actual event, I had no idea what was going to happen. Then the author goes and sticks like six chapters in between these two heart-pounding chapters, and I was like "Quinn, why you so mean." I was really starting to think she was going to end it without telling us what happened. I would have been livid. I am so invested in this series. Luckily, we find out what happens, and there is a satisfying conclusion.
BUT, there are still questions. What is going to happen with Emma now that she's under the "protection" of the "DHS" woman, named Frieda? What is the "cost" God had mentioned? I'm starting to wonder if the cost is what's about to happen to Emma. I hope I get a definite answer at some point in the series. I also want to find out how Serenity becomes immortal. I'm an author, and I always have a plan that will make it work out for the couple, so I'm really hoping Quinn is the same way and Serenity becomes immortal at some point in the series. She just has to be with Dair forever. Right now I'm getting some Twilight nostalgia because what if Serenity dies? That would be heartbreaking. (hide spoiler)]
Final thoughts:
There were a few errors, but it's a first edition, so I know these will be fixed. It was simple stuff and didn't take away from the story. I also think that Serenity's relationship with her parents was nonexistent compared to Emma and her parents. I think maybe Serenity had more time to move on, so this wasn't a big deal, just something I noticed.
Enough of the bad, this book was amazing. ALL of the characters were well developed. The romance was well done, and I really liked the plot. Quinn has some series skills with knowing her story world. She had names for the places sub-characters worked and everything. I definitely saw everything as I was reading, and I feel like I know these people. I'm a bit sad that books two isn't in my hands yet, but it's been like two days since this one came out, so I'll have to suck it up for a while. I think I'll reread Elvin while I wait! I have liked all of Quinn's books, and this one is no exception.
I know Quinn must have been a little worried about how her readers would respond to this one since the whole book had references to Christianity and God. Quinn, if you're reading this, IT MADE IT BETTER! Honestly, this could have been a Christian book if the mild language was removed and maybe the kissing less descriptive, but hey, I loved it for what it was. I think this book could definitely influence someone on the fence in a nonthreatening way. None of the book was preachy and I think the God element added to the book. Without it, not all of the plot would have made since, like why the angel did nothing.
My reviews are sometimes longer, but I think this is enough for this one.
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Top reviews from other countries
Charlene Lee
Mr. Sandman, dream me a dream...
Reviewed in Canada on November 7, 2017
Kindle Customer
Another awesome story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2017
