Fateful (ARC)

Today I have an ARC review from Around the World ARC Tours (link at the end of the post) of a book I was super excited about -- Fateful by Claudia Gray!

Summary: Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out on her own.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage.

Claudia Gray is a genius. Pure and simple. Mixing werewolves and the Titanic? Count me in! I've been wanting to read this book for a long, long time.

The book starts the night before Tess and the family she works for, the Lisles, depart for America on the brand new, top of the class ocean liner the R.M.S. Titanic of White Star lines. But while Tess is out that night, a chance encounter with a mysterious guy in a dark, dark alley will change everything she has ever known.

But she leaves for America tomorrow, never to return and never to see these strange beings again. But it's just her luck that they're both rich men in their human lives heading to America on the same ship as her. One of them, Alec, turns out to be a very nice, incredibly awesome American who's treats his werewolf powers like the curse they are. The other, Mikhail, let's just say he's not so nice.

I really liked Tess. She's cool. And she punches werewolves in the face a lot. What more can you want in a heroine? Though she's a maid, she's anything but a doormat and if anyone acts like a jerk to her, she'll react something fierce.

I also loved the historical parts of Fateful. Gray depicted the Titanic brilliantly. I loved all the lush details and the way all the historic people (though like she said in the afterword, there weren't too many real-life people in the story because you she didn't want to seem disrespectful) and they really made a great back-drop to the romantic and paranormal parts of book.

This book also was very suspenseful. Though you know what's going to happen to the ship, all the drama of Tess's life makes up for that and you never know what's going to happen next. Oh! And the ending, no one could predict and I loved it!

Fateful is a great combo of fantasy and history. Dear Claudia, I want more!

5/5

Cover Comments: I adore this cover. I Love the way's she's walking on water and how the moon is half-way in the ocean. Well done!

Thanks to Around the World ARC Tours for organizing this tour.

Fateful is out tomorrow, order it on Amazon.