Friday, October 31, 2014

The New Mrs. Collins by Quanie Miller Review

Hey readers. First off HAPPY HALLOWEEN and second off HAPPY FRIDAY! So yeah, you guys should all be having an amazing day right now! I have a VERY special book review to share with you guys today! I am going to be participating in the blog tour for this read next week, but wanted to share my review with you guys just in time for Halloween! This time up for review? The New Mrs. Collins by Quanie Miller! Here's a bit about the book and our author before we get to my thoughts:

In the small town of Carolville, Louisiana, no one knows that Adira Collins inherited mystic powers from her great-grandmother. All they know is that she’s beautiful, poised, graceful, and ruthless—especially when it comes to love. And no one knows that more than Leena Williams, who was all set to marry the man of her dreams until Adira swooped into town and stole the man’s heart.

Being left at the altar is bad enough, but Leena and her ex share custody of their son, so she has to see the new Mrs. Collins on a regular basis.

And it burns every time she does.

But soon, Leena starts to suspect that there is more to Adira Collins than meets the eye. And it’s not because she owns some kinky lingerie shop or allegedly insulted the pastor’s wife: it’s the strange way she can make a door close without touching it, or take one look at something and make it drop dead at her feet. Leena starts digging for answers and soon discovers that, unlike her public persona, Adira’s true nature is somewhere on the other side of grace. She also learns, a little too late, that some secrets are better left buried.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23162421-the-new-mrs-collins

** Before we go any further, can I just express my love for this cover? Seriously, it's going on my all time favorite cover list!**

Quanie Miller
  
Quanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. She is the author of The New Mrs. Collins, a southern paranormal novel, and It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy, a romantic comedy. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel. To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress visit quanietalkswriting.com.

Social Media Links
Twitter * Facebook * Blog * Goodreads * Website
Email: quanie@quanietalkswriting.com  

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My Thoughts:

Just a few weeks ago I came across this read on a fellow bloggers' site and based on the cover alone, I fell in love! After reading the synopsis, I knew that this was the book for me. Especially considering it was a Halloween read! You guys all know how much I love Halloween!

Mrs. Quanie Miller has bestowed upon us one of the greatest paranormal reads of the year, in my opinion. Why? Why not. From a gripping plot, to outstanding characters, The New Mrs. Collins had me glued to my Nook!

At one point during my reading I looked up and said "Did Charlaine Harris change her name to Quanie Miller?" Seriously guys. No offense Mrs. Charlaine, but you better scoot over, Mrs. Quanie is coming in hot! 

Leena, our female MC, was one of the most fun characters to read. She was funny, independent, and strong willed. I love a good strong female read more than just about anything, and Mrs. Miller hit this one on the head, spot on! Leena goes through so much in this novel, enough to break most women, but not Leena. In the end not only does Leena make it through, she comes out on top and for the better, regardless of all the horrible things that happen from cover to cover. She goes through such a roller coaster of emotions, it is sometimes hard to keep up, but being a southern lady she handles it perfectly! Leena was one one of the amazing characters in this novel. Corie, her son, was written to perfection. Adira, our resident villain, was seriously one of the best characters I have ever read about. She was so easy to relate to, yet so hard to understand. Complicated? That's the point. In the end, we leave these character being reminded of a very powerful message: "love is the greatest weapon of them all".

The way the plot for this story was lined out was a little different from others I have read. To some it may seem confusing, but to me it worked out perfectly. Instead of having one single narrative, our story switches several times and continues the story from the eyes of someone else. Sometimes it's another MC, other times, it's the neighbor, or a character in a flashback. It was a big gamble to write the narratives in that fashion, but I believe it paid off in spades. The multiple narratives not only gave us vital information about the character, but also gave the reader great insight to the mentality of the community. It was an excellent decision on the part of Mrs. Miller.

When it comes to witchcraft, I have to admit, I thought I had seen it all. I've seen sexy witches, I've seen scary witches, I've seen wand-carrying, broom-riding witches, but never before have I seen a witch quite like the one Mrs.Miller has written in this novel. A no holds bar, ruin your life, no remorse, EVIL witch. A villainous witch so scary, it moved this book into the horror genre for me. She was scary! Woah!

I sent the following in an email to Mrs. Quanie and feel like I can share it here to help talk about my love for this read: "The New Mrs. Collins was a special read for me. I grew up in/around the Tennessee/Kentucky area, and while nowhere near as Southern as Louisiana, I found myself able to relate to so many of the nuances that made the setting to your story special. The gossipy townspeople; the small town atmosphere; the superstition, oh yeah, I could totally relate to the setting of this story! And the expressions the characters used, I loved it! It felt more like I was in the story rather than merely reading it!" That is pretty high praise for a novel, especially coming from me! Seriously guys, I could NOT get enough of this incredible book. I FLEW through it in just a few sittings because I couldn't put it down. Seriously. Yes. Seriously.

As if this is fixing to come as a shock to anyone; all-in-all, I am granting The New Mrs. Collins not only a near perfect 5-star review, but also a place on my Top Reads of 204 list! I do not have a single negative thing to say. I really enjoyed it THAT much. From the fun setting to the paranormal creepiness, all the way to that ending that BLEW me away, The New Mrs. Collins was a terrific read that has left me BEGGING for more! Kudos to you Mrs. Miller, you've gained a fan for life here!
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Where can you get your copy?

Right now the novel is available exclusively on Amazon, so follow the button below to pick up your copy now for only $3.99! I know I'm going to have to order a paperback to get our author to sign me a copy soon! I've got to have this one for my shelf!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OAC362I/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00OAC362I&linkCode=as2&tag=theaviboocol-20&linkId=RVNZ4GAR7JC7HGZB

 
Alright everyone, that is all I have for you on the topic of The New Mrs. Collins by Quanie Miller. A fantastic read that had me breaking out in goosebumps on more than one occasion. SUCH A GOOD BOOK! What are you waiting for, go get yourself a copy ASAP! Be sure to be on the look out for my exclusive interview with our author, Quanie Miller, in the coming week! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan 

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