The Paperback Pursuer: Review # 295: The Villain (The Fall Series ~ 4) by May Nicole Abbey

Description: (book-jacket)

A fall and crash

A violent journey through the doorways of time

A villain or hero in the making

Rosemary Mayfield teeters on the brink of ruin. With the murder of her parents she is left the sole guardian of her younger brother and sister. Once a wealthy socialite in New York City, she now finds herself stranded in the untamed wilderness of the American West. When a wounded man comes crashing through her roof, as rough as the savage land, it is against her better judgment to bring him into her home and her heart. But she soon discovers he holds a secret that shatters everything, and she must make a choice, unaware that often destiny hinges on a single moment.

Fresh from an unsavory past and a violent fall through time, Nicolas Ekkridon awakens to find himself cared for by three orphans ignorant of the role he played in their parents’ untimely death. They accept and embrace him, and a lifetime of hardened barriers begin to crumble. On the precipice between good and evil, only Rosemary and her spirited defiance stands between him and villainy. But time and space are against them. As its weaving tentacles envelop them in an indifferent grasp, they are swept into a shattering series of circumstances that threaten the very makeup of their lives. But when time can be bent, nothing is written in stone.

Review:

Anyone that really knows me is aware of my fascination with time travel, especially where the past is concerned, so when I read the blurb for May Nicole Abbey's The Villain, I was immediately intrigued! In fact, I received the book and began reading before I even realized that it was fourth in The Fall series; fortunately, it also worked as a stand-alone volume. I was hooked from page one, the Elizabeth Mayfield "quotes" from Rules of Manners and Politeness transporting me to a time of corsets, petticoats, and white gloves - a stark contrast to the town of Dannock and the wilds of the West. The educated language and mannerisms of the New York Mayfields' paired with the staccato-ed drawls of Dannock's (mostly male) population, made for an interesting and immersive reading experience. I admire the authors for keeping the language timely and staying away from the use of lewd and bawdy speech (even during scenes of violence). The characters (even those that only existed briefly) were well-developed and helped move the story at a galloping pace, each playing their part in the story's heart-pounding climax. Emily was one of my favorite characters, her innocence and whimsicality providing an occasional lightness during some of the more tense situations. I also enjoyed the character interactions, especially those between Rosemary and Nicolas (both romantic and platonic), and those involving Emily, of course. As for the plot-line, I was actually surprised by the levels of originality and creativity, finding myself stumped as to what might happen next. The time travel aspect worked out well, although I would have preferred less flashbacks, but honestly, I only wish that there had been more to read, because I finished the book in one sitting and found myself wanting more. Overall, I rather enjoyed The Villain and I plan on purchasing the rest of the books in the series (The Dreamer, The Scholar, and The Pauper) later this summer!

Rating: On the Run (4.5/5)

About the Authors:

Caroline Gregory and Shawnette Nielson are sisters on a mission. Their goal is to write clean, adventuresome time travel stories, full of lovely characters, personal growth, truth, and hope.
Although they are many miles from each other, and are both busy with the daily needs of their respective families, they carve out time each night to put fingers to keyboard and write. Their goal? Twenty completed books. Set all over the world and throughout time, they thrill at the freedom that writing time travel offers them. From Georgian society, to Ancient Egypt, and the Wild West, there are even plans for books set in Ancient Greece, the future, as well as today. The possibilities are limitless.