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    Breathless
    Breathless
    Breathless
    Audiobook8 hours

    Breathless

    Written by Beverly Jenkins

    Narrated by Kim Staunton

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A strong-willed beauty finds herself in the arms of the handsome drifter from her past, in this second book in the sizzling series set in the Old West, from USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins.

    As manager of one of the finest hotels in Arizona Territory, Portia Carmichael has respect and stability—qualities sorely missing from her harsh childhood. She refuses to jeopardize that by hitching herself to the wrong man. Suitors are plentiful, but none of them has ever looked quite as tempting as the family friend who just rode into town…and none has looked at her with such intensity and heat.

    Duchess. That’s the nickname Kent Randolph gave Portia when she was a young girl. Now she’s a stunning, intelligent woman—and Kent has learned his share of hard lessons. After drifting through the West, he’s learned the value of a place to settle down, and in Portia’s arms he’s found that and more. But convincing her to trust him with her heart, not just her passion, will be the greatest challenge he’s known—and one he intends to win…

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJan 31, 2017
    ISBN9780062663955
    Breathless
    Author

    Beverly Jenkins

    Beverly Jenkins is the recipient of the 2018 Michigan Author Award by the Michigan Library Association, the 2017 Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance. She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature, was featured in both the documentary Love Between the Covers and on CBS Sunday Morning. Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance, and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR. To read more about Beverly, visit her at www.BeverlyJenkins.net.  

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    Reviews for Breathless

    4/5

    179 ratings95 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Loved it! I need a Kenton Randolph, please! He and Porsha are so cute together. I loved the story, the narration , all of it!
    • 4/5
      I adored this book even though I found the main character to be a spoiled brat. This surprised me because normally if I do not like the main character I find it hard to get into the book. Sophie Jordan's writing is amazing and made me feel like I was there feeling all the sensations Jacinda was experiencing.The CharactersLike I mentioned above I did not care much for Jacinda even though I did feel sorry that she was being pushed to be with someone by her pride of draki and also being forced to give up her draki half by her mother. I think the main reason this did not turn me off of the book is because it fits her character. She is a 16 year old who has basically been spoiled ever since she manifested and was found to be a fire breather. So it's not surprising when things do not go her way she reacts like a spoiled brat.Will is mysterious and sweet but I am still a little ambivalent about him. He's sexy but for some reason he just hasn't grabbed me yet.I did enjoy Jacinda's twin sister, Tamra's, character. I felt so bad for her that she basically shoved aside when the pride realized she would not manifest and really had no importance in their eyes. I can only imagine how painful that must be growing up especially when your twin sister is treated as the princess of the pride. Even though she was somewhat insensitive to Jacinda's feelings once they leave the pride I can understand her joy in finally fitting in somewhere and not having Jacinda over shadow her.Xander is Will's cousin and a hunter. He is portrayed as truly evil and manipulative as is expected from the villain in the story. We only get glimpses of him here and there as he suspects Jacinda is not what she appears to be. I'm interested to see how his character fleshes out in the next book.The RomanceDespite my dislike of Jacinda the chemistry is flowing between her and Will and I still find myself rooting for them to get together. I cannot wait to see where it goes and if it can withstand Cassian, the heir to the leadership of Jacinda's pride, trying to win her back.The StorylineIt is so refreshing to read a story that is not about vampires, werewolves and fairies. I love the idea of the draki being descendants of dragons and that being able to take human form is a defense mechanism. I cannot say too much here without giving away spoilers but the clash between the draki and hunters and the affect this has on Jacinda's actions is gripping.I'm also hoping there is a way for Tamra to find happiness and for Jacinda to realize it's not just all about her, her actions affect her mother, Tamra, Will and even Cassian. I cannot wait for the next book to come out and see what happens to Jacinda, Tamra, Cassian and Will.
    • 4/5
      Jacinda is a Dragon, ahem, sorry, the PC term is Draki. Jacinda is a very special Draki, a very rare fire breather…the first one born to her pride in many centuries. This makes her very special and highly coveted. Jacinda just wants freedom to make her own decisions.Forced to leave home and enter the mortal world, Jacinda has one bright spot, his name is Will. She is drawn to him like a moth to a flame…and he ignites the hidden dragon within. With her pride searching for her, and dragon hunters always on the lookout. Life has become more complicated than Jacinda thought possible.This was an incredibly fun read. I was sucked in hook, line, and sinker by the second page when Jacinda goes through her transformation into a dragon. Sophie Jordan created such a fascinating mythos for these characters. I just had to know more.As for Jacinda’s ability as a fire-breather…it was so cool…I loved how it would pop up at the most inopportune times. Jacinda thinks it’s a lame ability, and yet it’s so prized because there hasn’t been one in her pride for so long. Sophie Jordan created some really interesting talents for her Draki to have. I’m in hopes this series will continue for a while and maybe explore storylines with some of the other Draki!There is so much more I would like to say in this review, but can’t figure out how to get the crux of it out without spoiling everything…and without being so vague that what I write is pointless. All I can really say is that if you like dragons (LOVE ‘EM), action, adventure, love stories, and teenage angst…then this is the story for you! LOL
    • 4/5
      One of my best friends recommended this book to me, but she said that the ending was terrible, so I put off reading it until recently. So when I finally picked it up, I was pleasantly surprised. The beginning was well written, giving you enough information to understand the concept of it, but hiding enough to where you want to keep reading. The middle of the book is what bugged me the most. Escpecially Jacinda's constant indecisive behaviour. I mean, as I explained it to one of my friends, "One day she'll be making out with Will on the school stairs, and the next she'll be saying to him 'I've been ignoring you for the past three days, why are you on my doorstep?'" And that constantly repeated itself throughout the middle. But once she finally caved, things began to settle in, taking shape, annoying me a little less. The ending was alright, I suppose. It reveals a huge surprise and opens up plenty of opportunites for imagination and questions. One major question being, "When does the sequel come out?" 
    • 3/5
      First, the cover is beautiful, really really nice work done here. Second, the book was good. Not amazingly good but good. I don't usually vent about what I didn't like in a book but this time I'm going to make a little tiny exception.I love dragons, that's why I bought this book in the first place. I was expecting a book about the girl who turns to be also a dragon and her fight (real fights, with her Pride and the bad guys, a heroine with no fear) to be with the guy she loves. And I kind of got that... but not in a good way. You see, yes, Jacinda, the main character, is a draki - a descendant of Dragons- and she is even more special since she was born as a fire-breather, the first one in centuries. So not only she is important for the Pride she is supposed to mate with the Pride's heir, Cassien, to "create" more fire-breathers. But she really doesn't care about that, somehow she thinks that she will be able to avoid her destiny and, being the rebellious she is she convinces her best friend to go out off the Pride limits and fly.And so they do. They let their human appearance dissolve and become the drakis they love to be... until draki hunters came for them. And what would they do to them? Well, they would kill them or torture them. So Jacinda and Az ran for their lifes. Luckily for Az she managed to go back to the Pride but Jacinda, who was distracting the hunters, tried to hide and a hunter found her... a handsome guy, just her age, who whispered she was beautiful and went away without alerting the other hunters.When she returns home her mom takes a decision: they have to leave the Pride and run away because they don't only want to use Jacinda to crate more fire-breathers but they even consider the idea of clipping her wings to keep her with them... and to clip the wings of a draki is one of the cruelest things they could ever do. Of course Jacinda doesn't believe her mom and is against leaving but her twin sister, Tamra, who never developed her draki nature and was considered a paria between her kind was eager to leave and start a new life. So the three of them left the Pride hopefully to never come back.Sadly this is when the dragon story turns into a "high-school normal teenager book". In their new city Jacinda runs into Will, the hunter who saved her life. Of course at first he can't tell that that draki and Jacinda are the same person but realizes that there's something odd in her. And now Jacinda has to fight for two things: she needs to keep her draki alive since her mother chose a small town near a dessert with the only intention to kill that side of her (not because she is a horrible mother but because she is scared of the Pride and wants to protect Jacinda... in a cruel way...) and to stay away from Will because, well, he IS a hunter, just like his whole family but the attraction is there and eventually they can't fight their feelings.Yes, I know, the book doesn't sounds that bad and actually you are right, is not that bad but I was expecting an awesome book with almighty dragons, fiercely hunters and love between the main plot. Anyway, I also read Vanish, the second book and it gets better ;)That's why the real rating for this book is 3.5
    • 3/5
      I wanted to like this as much as others did, but I found myself just wanting to get through it. Maybe I'm just burnt out on teen fiction for awhile, but it seemed there was 80% teen angst wanting a boy she shouldn't have, 10% were dragon pack catching up to her and 10% absolute horror at the game she was trying to play with the family of the boy she shouldn't have! It's not a bad story and the writing was fine, but it was more teen love anguish than I really wanted and I was more annoyed at the characters than loving them. And her mother and sister, wow. Talk about family guilting you into not being yourself. Ouch!
    • 4/5
      Firelight is the first book in a series about modern descendants of dragons, the draki. Draki have developed the power to transform themselves into human form to hide from the men who would hunt them to extinction for profit. Jacinda, our narrator, is the last fire-breather of her pride and the victim of her pride's high expectations. She is already promised in marriage to Cassian, the son of an elder, doomed to a life of breeding to produce another fire-breather until one day, after a forbidden daylight flight, everything changes. Cornered by hunters, Jacinda is sure she is moments from death, until the hunter sent to find her spares her. Soon, Jacinda is being swept away from her home by her mother and sister to a place where she is forced to deny her very nature to survive, but when the very hunter who saved her life shows up in her new life, problems aren't far behind. Firelight is a fantastic start to a new YA series. The draki's nature and way of life is cleverly fleshed out. There is, of course, a convincing forbidden love story between two characters with undeniable chemistry. Jacinda makes a great narrator, pulled in so many different directions by all the people around her, yet determined to stay true to herself and her own draki nature. There's plenty of action and suspense to keep the pages turning, but never at the expense of the characters' development. I'm looking forward to reading more about Jacinda and the rest of the draki!
    • 3/5
      I kind of hate books that don't have any sort of ending at all, so that was the thing I liked the least about this. I thought the story was good and I liked the characters. It was just a little weird, though. The writing wasn't that great, and it amused me that it is only a 3.8 AR reading level. But I liked it enough to read the second one.
    • 4/5
      Welcome to the world of the Draki, long ago descendents of dragons. Draki have an amazing survival talent – they can “demanifest” into human form and walk around indictable. This is the world Jacinda, her twin sister Tamra and her mother live in until it becomes too dangerous to stay among the Draki. Stealing away in the dead of the night, Jacinda’s mom brings the girls to the desert, an area inhospitable to Draki. Of the three, Jacinda is the only member of the family to be a Draki and is also the rarest kind: a fire-breather.Tamra has always lived in Jacinda’s shadow but now outside the pride she is thrilled to join a regular high school, make friends and be just like a regular teenager. Jacinda on the other hand is utterly depressed to live in an area so hot and dry that it is draining her Draki powers. She plans to escape back to the pride but there is a major complication…Will.Will is a Draki hunter and Jacinda first meets Will while she is injured and hiding. They share a magical moment of connection before Will must rejoin his fellow hunters. Jacinda is never sure why Will let her live. Suddenly among all the students of this new high school, Jacinda and Will meet again. This is true story of this novel: how dangerous love can be when one is the hunter and one is the hunted. There are many secrets throughout the novel, some that the author never seems to answer for which I was very frustrated. I can only hope that they are answered in the second book. I greatly enjoyed this book and can absolutely understand why my eighth grade students were determined that I pick this one up!
    • 5/5
      Quick & Dirty: This is a fantastic supernatural tale with beautifully written characters, and breathtaking world-building.Opening Sentence: Gazing out at the quiet lake, I know the risk is worth it.The Review:Life for Jacinda isn’t very easy. She’s struggling to gain control over her future. Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons. The draki have evolved over time, with the ability to appear human, hiding their true nature from those that seek to destroy them. Because of her rare ability, Jacinda is also the prized possession of her pride. Jacinda is a fire breather. Her pride expects her to do what’s best for their future and survival. Jacinda’s ability offers great protection, and the pride wants her to mate and breed more fire breathers. Not wanting to be controlled and have her life planned out for her, Jacinda rebels. Putting her life and the pride’s existence at risk, Jacinda’s mother is forced to take drastic action. Jacinda, her twin sister Tamra, and her mother flee their home to start a new life in the mortal world.Firelight is intoxicating. Ms. Jordan‘s prose beautifully captures Jacinda’s every action, thought and emotion. Firelight maintains high levels of intrigue, suspense, action and romance. This is more than a story about forbidden love. Firelight beautifully illustrates Jacinda’s struggle with identity and purpose. The dragon mythology and world-building are incredible. It was easy for me to become immersed in the story and these characters. I can’t wait to learn more about the township where Jacinda’s pride lives. I’d also like to know more about the different types of draki and their powers. The world that Ms. Jordan has created is vivid, layered and fascinating.Jacinda surprised me in many ways. She’s very conflicted and passionate about her sense of self. On the one hand she embraces her draki heritage, but on the other hand she won’t be a slave to all its’ traditions. Her sacrifices and struggles are heartbreaking.I’m very much intrigued by the sexy, dashing and domineering Cassian, the son of the pride leader. Cassian is the alpha next in line to lead the pride and he intends to claim Jacinda. We only get a few glimpses of Cassian, but I love his interactions with Jacinda thus far. For now their relationship is rocky at best, but there’s definitely some spark there. It’s clear that Cassian will have a larger role in the next book.In stark contrast to Cassian, Will comes from a family of dragon hunters. Jacinda knows that he hunts her kind, yet she finds herself drawn to him nonetheless. He awakens her draki senses and Jacinda can’t seem to walk away from this dangerous situation. Although I like Will’s character, I don’t know if I necessarily envision him and Jacinda together. Jacinda’s relationship with Will presents yet another conflict. It remains to be seen whether the Will side of Jacinda’s love triangle is any more than a plot device to spice things up.Overall, Firelight is captivating from start to finish. Ms. Jordan has crafted a complicated and seductive world with vivid characters, lots of danger and pulse-pounding adventure. Intense, enthralling, and unique, you won’t be able to put this book down. I highly recommend reading this book.Notable Scene:My eyes are slower to process, to accept, what I already know. I stare up at him. The immensity of him, a looming wall. Well over six feet. I forgot about his size. His sheer presence. Somehow, with time and distance, here in the human world, he had shrunk in my mind. Now I get all over again why he’s the leading onyx of my pride. Second only to his father.Charcoal black flashes beneath the olive hue of Cassian’s skin, his draki flesh ready to burst free. “I’m not here for my father or the pride.”As his purple-black eyes bore into me, I feel this truth. Know what he’s really saying. He’s here for himself.I cock my head. “News flash, Cassian. I’m not looking to go home.” At least not like this. Not with him dragging me back.He responds to this in typical male draki fashion. His face tightens into stark lines, his nose broadening with several sharp ridges, his skin flashing, blurring in and out. Black dragon skin one moment, human flesh the next.I brace myself, flex my toes inside my shoes. Steam puffs from my nose like warm breath on a wintry day.The Draki Series:1. FirelightFTC Advisory: Harper Teen provided me with a copy of Firelight. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
    • 2/5
      Firelight was a book I was excited to read because there are not many books out there about dragons. I was more than a little disappointed with how it turned out. I wanted to read about drakis and hunters, not a teenage love story. Firelight would have been almost the same if you took out the paranormal element in it.*********spoilers**********What I liked about Firelight:-the mythology of the draki, but most of the book is focused on Will and Jacinda’s relationship rather than the really interesting history of drakis, why were less and less draki able to manifest?, why were they only descendants of dragons and not actual dragons?-the different types of draki and their abilities-the hunters and the enkros, I wish there was more on the hunters and who the enkros areWhat I didn’t like about Firelight:-the instant love between Will and Jacinda-Jacinda’s indecisiveness, does she want to date Will or not?-the selfishness of many of the characters (Jacinda especially, Tamra sometimes, etc.)-Jacinda can only ever think about flying in the mountains or being with Will-how Jacinda became an outcast while her twin sister became popular-more of a high school love story than a YA book about draki and forbidden love-the blond bratty cheerleader and her followers that hate Jacinda, too cliched-Will is not a very memorably hero, dangerous, brooding, and super special because he is the best hunter in his family, hates everyone but the heroine can make his heart beat faster-how Will never goes out with anyone to keep them away from his family, but instantly falls in love with Jacinda and asks her out-Jacinda dating Will fully knowing he hunts her kind-Jacinda putting her family in danger by not telling them they live in a city with hunters and that three of them goes to school with her-Will stalking Jacinda and driving by her house in the middle of the night just to “check it out”-Jacinda doesn’t seem to be happy anywhere, not with her pride and not when she goes to live with humans-Jacinda wanted to look for a new pride which I looked forward to, but never actually tried-the love triangle between Will, Jacinda, and Cassian, seems clear that she will pick Will-Jacinda and Will made out too much, their love was unbelievable-the high school full of bullies and cliques was unrealistic to me because my high school is nothing like that, there are popular people and certain people that like to hang out together, but they don’t beat up one another-the really big coincidence of Will, whom Jacinda met in the Cascade Mountains, happens to attend the same school she now goes to-Jacinda loves Will way too much, she exposed the biggest secret of her kind to hunters to try to save him-the ending was a cliffhanger sort of and it makes me not want to read Vanish-many, many more things...As you can see, the list of what I didn’t like is much longer than what I did like about Firelight. I plan to read Vanish someday, but for now I’m going to take a break from this series. Hopefully Vanish will be better. I hope Tamra and Cassian will be featured more. I have a feeling they will end up together. Firelight just wasn’t for me. ⅖ stars.
    • 3/5
      2.5 stars

      sixteen year old dragon shapeshifter jacinda spends this book between the proverbial rock & hard place: mom flees the homeland in the middle of the night with her twin daughters because the pride were so desperate to keep jacinda's special talents that they would have entrapped her physically and emotionally...but the place they hide out is, by necessity, brutally inhospitable to dragonkind. she can't go back, she can't stay, high school is a bitch, and her star-crossed hottie is the scion of a family of dragon hunters.

      chock-a-block full of teen angst ("oh, I must swear him off forever!") and most romance novel tropes ("we can't possibly actually discuss this!"), but saved by the fun premise, it's worth checking out, but only for teen romance novel lovers with a tolerance for this type of foolishness.
    • 4/5
      Where’s the next book?! The third isn’t coming out ‘til September?!?! AAACK!!This book is refreshingly fast. I have a “thing” for flying, for turning into a dragon and taking off in the air. It’s exhilarating!! Getting chased by hunters, makes my blood run fast.Right near the beginning, we get a taste of the best part of being a Draki… and the worst. The two extremes leap from the first 25 pages. And we’ve also encountered Will, and he has done something amazing, something completely un-hunter-ish, something confusing, fascinating, intriguing.Jacinda is a fun character. I love how she loves and honors her family and her clan even when she disagrees with them. It gives her more character to care especially when it’s physically painful to honor them… both. The romantic attraction is all Draki-blood hormones. (My terminology.) There is very little to base relationship on, although the overwhelming physical attraction brings characters close enough to interact and start building relationship. There is lots of kissing, frantic, heat-soaring, crazy-wild kissing. The Draki blood intensifies the experience for Jacinda, drawing out her inner Draki.Cassian is a great protagonist. He’s powerful, sexy, the up-n-coming leader of the draki clan and he has moments of kindheartedness. I never knew which part of him was real, the calculating leader or the kind man. I’m too suspicious of his motives to wait and see if he’s really kind. Run away!!!Will is a fun mystery, dark-but-not-really, brooding, unapproachable, tall and super-strong, intense… and somehow detects Jacinda before he sees her. *shiver* Because of their initial encounter, Jacinda is more inclined to trust his intentions than his description suggests she should. There’s always a tension between something mysterious and his strong attraction to Jacinda.I never know if the attraction is all based on that iridescent purple blood, though. In part, I feel very sorry for Jacinda because no matter how much she wants to make her own decisions, even those decisions are instinctual. Nothing about her is free from what she is, which makes her twin sister the wisest of everyone, since she sees this and still loves her sister while resenting all this wild instinct stuff. It’s ironic, actually, that Jacinda is trying so darn hard to create a bubble of free will about herself, while only pitting vying instincts against each other.That said… the kissing is very hot. The attraction is strong and dramatic. I love the action: the panic attacks, the fights. There’s an intense girl cat fight in the bathroom that’s just brutally fun – ouch!! Sophie Jordan writes adult romance novels, which I think is important to note. Her writing is skillful, if repetitive in a sprinkled through-out sort of way, and she handles the action really well, especially that kissing. I don’t really think two sophomores should be making out that intensely, in retrospect, but ages don’t seem important, for reasons eventually uncovered. It worked for me, even though I was blushing while reading. The best part, for me, was how fast of a read this book is. I set Firelight aside for some family time, but other than that, I finished it in one sitting. This was a much-appreciated boost to my current reading slump.Oh… one warning… there is one line that I wish didn’t exist in this book at all. It killed the storyline for me temporarily and wasn’t even necessary to the story: Catherine, new friend, says of Will, “He doesn’t date high school girls. He hardly talks to any of us.” All I could think was, “Edward”. Since the perspective changes so quickly and Will’s character and that of those around him explain him well, this entire conversation was pretty unnecessary. Will is more like Mr. Darcy, really, than Edward, if I was to compare: Reserved, mysterious, bad relatives, amazing in his own right. When you get to that scene, skim quickly to the other side!!!! (And resist the urge to chuck the book!! The comparison is gone as quickly as it comes up!) (You shouldn’t be throwing books, anyway. It’s not a good practice and definitely a horrible habit. Just say “no” to chucking.)
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Unique concept and very well portrayed first, out-of-control love story. Definitely reading the sequel.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book because it’s charming, vibrant and refreshing.
    • 3/5
      I was torn in two directions by this book. It was a page turner and the story had wonderful pacing. I never felt bored and was eager to see where the story would go next. I loved learning about the history of Jacinda’s pride and the different traits possessed by the different dragons. I thought the dynamics in the pride were interesting as well. That part of the book was very well done and since I have not read much about dragons this really held me to the story. I’m definitely going to be reading more books in the future that center around dragons.On the other hand, the romance in this book was too Twilight-esque for my taste. Jacinda is immediately drawn to a boy named Will and he quickly becomes all that she can focus on. We receive lots of physical descriptions of Will and just how beautiful he is to the point of nauseating clarity. He is the only thing keeping Jacinda’s Draki alive and I really did not like that. Jacinda is a descendent of dragons and you’re telling me she needs some high-school boy to keep the fire inside her alive? I think not. Even with what we learn about Will in the end (which I saw coming) I still can’t see why Jacinda couldn’t rely on herself to keep the fire inside of her burning.I wish this book had focused more on Jacinda and her dragon side instead of the “hunter falls in love with the hunted” aspect of things, but it was very enjoyable and I will pick up the sequel as soon as it is available.
    • 4/5
      In this fresh and sensual take on being who you are and following your heart, Firelight is the first YA novel from romance novelist Sophie Jordan. Jacinda is a draki -- descended from dragons and capable of manifesting into human form, but her draki within longs for more flight and freedom than her pride allows. Those Hunters who track dragons do not know about their true nature and ability to shift into human form, which is their race's greatest secret and protection, and yet their way of life is constantly threatened. (Jacinda's own father was likely killed by Hunters, having disappeared years before.) Jacinda is under close watch because she is the first fire-breather in generations and her life has practically been mapped out for her. Slated to mate with the pride leader's son and hopefully breed more fire-breathers, Jacinda is already chafing from the restrictions of pride life when her ability to have any say is threatened after a close-call with hunters nearly has her captured. And she would have been captured, too, if the young hunter who ultimately caught up with her would have given her away, but for some reason he lied and let her go free. The pride will not be so forgiving, though, that she broke the rules and put herself in jeopardy... and Jacinda's mother decides that they should flee rather than let the pride dictate Jacinda's life. The thing is, it's easier for Jacinda's mother and twin sister to give up life in the pride, even if Jacinda is the one whose life and liberty is most threatened. Her sister, Tamra, never manifested and her mother let her own draki die so Tamra wouldn't feel alone. (Evidently by refusing to manifest or by being in a dry location, one's draki can die and one becomes totally human.) When their mom decides they should settle in a desert, she does so with the knowledge that the climate will help Jacinda's own draki die, but Jacinda is unwilling to let go of what she believes defines her true self. Integrating with human society comes easily to Tamra (and when Jacinda can stop moping, she does notice how she hasn't seen her sister this happy in years), but Jacinda is having trouble enough with the draining climate when she sees him -- Will Rutledge, the boy all the girls in school want who happens to be the young Hunter who let her go free. Immediately her draki stirs and she practically manifests right next to her locker. I don't think it takes deep thought here to realize just how attracted to Will Jacinda is, and Will appears to feel the same, as he is drawn to her like a moth to a flame (no fire-breathing dragon jokes intended).Naturally, as in all situations where the hunter and the hunted fall for each other, there are complications, but things certainly sizzle between Jacinda and Will. Jacinda is complex (though a bit whiny) and Will is a fairly standard example of the blank-canvas leading man. Thankfully, he gains a little complexity as we go along and the ending of the novel will likely improve upon this, too, as the storyline takes a twist. Jacinda does not wish to betray the secret of her race to Will, even if she's convinced he's different from his family of Hunters, though she isn't the only one with secrets to hold onto. Meanwhile, his cousin suspects Jacinda isn't all she claims... and we can hardly forget the pride who would obviously want the only fire-breathing draki back in their protection. Many folks have noted that there are obvious points that this world set-up shares with werewolf stories (shape-shifting, pack dynamics, etc.) and yet I still enjoyed Jordan's telling.What I mean is that this may not be the most original storyline (doomed lovers from rival groups, etc.), but a romance novelist would be the first to tell you that as long as you have compelling characters, your readers will be carried along with you. It's certainly the chemistry between Jacinda and Will that keeps you going in Firelight, but the ending leaves readers with a real curiosity to find out if the lovers will be able to overcome the many obstacles to be together. It isn't great literature, but it's great fun. I devoured Firelight in a single day and I imagine any other reader would feel the same compulsion to gobble this down. Jordan's romance instincts will serve her well in the YA genre and this is definitely one of the most sensual (without being explicit) YA novels that I've read in a while.
    • 5/5
      Really enjoyed the start of this new series by Sophie Jordan. The novel was innovative and action-packed. I like that Sophie has brought something new to the supernatural romance genre. A year seems like a long time to wait for the next installment. Jacinda is a great character, and I loved her story and her struggle to keep her draki alive. I look forward to seeing how her relationship with Will develops and what will happen now that the draki secret is out.
    • 4/5
      Firelight is a fantastic novel! It has a little bit of everything; magic, adventure, romance. I absolutely enjoyed this world that Jordan created..... Where 'Draki’ are such beautiful creatures and fly around mountains and mist. I’ve never read anything like it, when so many novels focus on one being, werewolves, vampires, fae.... but Firelight is something totally unique. I mean Dragons(!) I’d love to hear about the research that Jordan came up with when writing this story and the creatures in it.The plot was engaging, if not a little bit predictable, I think any reader would be able to pick up on the clues and see the outcome of this story before it happens, but it's still fun to read!Sophie’s character's are real and captivating. Especially the main character Jacinda. I found her to be very brave and selfless at times. She try’s to fit in at school for her mother and sister even though they really want her Draki to fade. With leaving in this itchy desert it certainly doesn’t help her Draki…but when she’s around Will, he begins her to life.With Will I didn’t initially see him as the “bad boy” type, he kind of reminded me of Quince from Forgive My Fins. Will is associated with bad people. But I think the real bad boy is Xander.The relationship between Will and Jacinda was charming and appealing. Seeing this that Will is a Hunter and Jacinda trying to stay away from him and added bonus Pride “prince” Cassian only makes this forbidden love story more compelling.Sophie leaves me on a cliff hanger(Gosh I hate those) and I’m craving for more!
    • 4/5
      Out of all the supernatural creatures seen in YA, dragons seemed to be taking a backseat. That is, until Firelight. In Firelight, Jordan introduces us to the Draki. Draki are dragon descendants. They can shift from dragon to human form. After reading Firelight, I consider Draki one of the coolest supes out there.Jacinda was a tough girl that can handle her own. She is very much a Draki, and will do anything to keep that part of her. She also cared very much for her family and put their wants before hers. I found Jacinda very likable. I only have one complaint about her. The girl couldn't make up her damn mind! Be around Will, Don't be around Will. This kept driving me nuts. To be fair to Jacinda though, Will is a hunter. As in a Draki hunter. So there is a reason to her indecisiveness.One thing I was surprised to see was Jacinda had a twin sister. I always love story lines including sisters. Tamra is the complete opposite of Jacinda. Looks were about the only thing they had in common. But Jordan pegged down exactly what having a sister is like. No matter how much you can't stand them, you will always look after them and do anything for them.Now I have to get to Will. Oh boy. I have another character crush. Will is an incredible guy. He has a big heart and is not scared to go against his family (A.K.A. his creep cousins) when he doesn't agree with something. The romance between Jacinda and Will is the main focus of Firelight, and it's easy to see why. The kissing scenes were phenomenal. It's impossible to miss the chemistry between these two.I am very intrigued with this Draki world. Unfortunately with Jacinda running off with her mom and sister, you don't get to see too much of it. I hope to see more of the "pride" in the next book. Going by the ending, it looks like I'll be getting that wish. Speaking of the ending, holy cow! The ending was tearing me up inside (in the best of ways). Jordan definitely knows how to deliver a big ending. In a genre as crowded as paranormal romance, others will move aside to make room for Firelight. You can count on it.
    • 4/5
      Title: FirelightAuthor: Sophie JordanGenre: YA, FantasyPublisher: Harper TeenPublication Date: September 2010Hardcover: 323Summary: A hidden truth. Mortal enemies.Doomed love.Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.Book Review:I really liked this book. When I read Nightshade afterwards I found a strong similarity between them. Jacinda and Calla both are destined to be married off to the alpha. Both fall in love with a human, ect. The only difference I found was that Firelight was better. Sorry Nightshade fans, but I just found that Firelight was the overall better book. In Nightshade Shay wasn't my favorite character. I found him kinda annoying, but in Firelight I actually liked the human that Jacinda fell in love with. The love triangle was done really well. Jacinda actually had some relationship with her arranged husband. She has at least some sort of connection with her husband to be. When I read this book I didn't really know if I would like it. It was a surprise to me that I actually liked it. The depth was kinda lacking, but isn't it always in Young Adult novels. I loved the relationship that Jacinda and Will had. They are perfect for each other. I can't wait for the next book! Wow. Rating: ANotable Quotes:"I stare into his eyes, I shake my head, sorry for the chance we lost. The chance we maybe never had. But not for saving him. I would do that again, no matter the cost." "After running for my life from hunters, a girl with too much lip gloss doesn't register on my fear radar." "What good is safety if you're dead inside?" "I respond, thoughts dropping away, like pebbles plopping one by one in water, sinking down, down into dark oblivion." "I wont let him have you."
    • 3/5
      The good:The pacing was good. I was able to read it all in one sitting and I am not such a fast reader.It didn't contain werewolves or vampires.Interesting original story.The bad.Just about everything else.. where to begin..(Spoilers ahead)With a premise this juicy, it seems that all the details were skimmed over and the characters were placemarkers more than real people.Jacinda to me is just a bratty self absorbed teen. "But I wanna flllyyyy" Wah.To me she could have been written with a lot more though provoking depth.Same for the mother and sister. And Will for that matter.The story to me seems very rushed. 1. Jacinda flies and is almost captured by a hunter who lets her go.2. They move to a place where MOm hopes her inner draki will die (and so that she won't have to be a breeder for the pack )3. Oh wow..of all the places they could have landed it's the place where that super enigmatic hot hunter is.4. The *big conflict* how can I be in love with the guy who wants to hunt down my people? But the bigger more intriguing conflict which I feel could have been the more highlighted is the fact that he actually keeps her inner draki alive.As a matter of fact, I kind of dislike that her chosen draki mate is drawn up as such an a-hole and that Will is painted as this reluctant hunter. I would be FAR more intrigued if her given mate was a guy you DO want to root for, and that Will was far more flawed than just being a hunter who has to go along with his families obsession.THEN her being drawn to Will as someone who keeps her draki alive and less someone she is just attracted to becomes far more delicate and fascinating.The sister Tamra also has far more potential than just being a monkey wrench. I don't really "feel" any of the relationship between anyone.. Jacinda and her mother, Jacinda and Tamra. Even Jacinda and Will.I'm also very over the "mean girl" crowd that seems to exist in every school in YA fiction lately. On a whole I feel that this story has so much potential, but the characters need far more depth for me to emotionally invest in the story.It was still a quick and easy enough read, with an intriguing enough premise to make me want to see what happens in book 2.
    • 4/5
      Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons with the ability to shift into human form. She is the golden child of her pride for she is a fire-breather, a race of dragon that is very rare. So rare, in fact, that she is the first in many generations to grace her pride, and their leader will go to any length to keep her safe and assure she mates with his son, Cassian. Jacinda hates that her life is decided for her and desperately wants to make her own decisions for once. Her desire for freedom gets her into trouble when she sneaks out one morning to fly across the mountains as the sun rises. This is strictly forbidden, and when she attracts the attention of draki hunters, she almost loses her life the same way her father did a few years earlier. The pride decides to take drastic measures to keep her safe, and when her mother gets wind of it, she packs up Jacinda and her twin sister, Tamra and moves them away.Tamra has longed for a normal life ever since Jacinda manifested and she didn’t. She is tired of living in her sisters shadow and embraces the move. Jacinda isn’t as thrilled at the prospect of going to a human school, dealing with mean girls and trying to fit in – until she meets Will. He awakens something in her that she was afraid may have died, but the closer she gets to him, the more dangerous things become. Will is part of a family of draki hunters, and to stay with him puts Jacinda at risk. The more time she spends with Will, the harder it is for Jacinda to keep her draki at bay, and with the pride hot on her tail, Jacinda has to decide between staying with Will, or turning herself back over to the pride, losing him forever.I will admit, I was a little apprehensive of his book at first, but the first chapter totally drew me in. The writing is fluid and action-packed. It is chock full of action, tension and romance. With all of the vampire and angel books saturating the paranormal romance shelves, this was a breath of fresh air. The characters are rich and well-drawn, and while I did feel like there was a lot of setup in this book, it ends with a bang and I can’t wait to read the next installment.
    • 3/5
      FIRELIGHT, by Sophie Jordan, introduced me to a supernatural creature that I have never read about before, dragons. Or in this case draki. I was immediately drawn to this book by the cover, isn't it gorgeous? The subtle changes in the human form make the cover intriguing and when I heard about it, I just had to read it.I read this book a couple of weeks ago and I have been going back and forth about the review. I wanted to love the book but I couldn't. I did like the book but there were times when I wanted to close it and be done with it.I really liked the creativity Jordan put into her creation of the draki. Since I have never read a dragon book I can't compare it to anything else but I thought the history and way of life was stellar. I wanted Jacinda to let her draki come out more often because I enjoyed experiencing the natural freedom it gave her. I did enjoy the suspense of the story and the cliffhanger ending did leave me wanting more.I did not like how easily the romance blossomed between Jacinda and Will. It seemed to happen too quickly and Jacinda would be hot and cold about the relationship at the drop of a hat. It went back and forth too often and it seemed to me that the relationship was there, just to be there. I don't want to spoil too much, that is why it was tough for me to write the review. I have an idea about why the connection is so strong between these two and it might negate what I just said, but it was not explained in this book so I am actually excited for the next book to answer more questions.Overall, this was a good book. The draki culture really make it stick out to me, but in the relationship department I found myself being taken out of the story too often.
    • 5/5
      I was blown away by FIRELIGHT. The mythology, the characters, the writing, the romance...ugh! Just awesome.It's hard to say too much without giving anything away, so I'll focus on the basics. The world Sophie Jordan created is fantastic. It is new, different, and exciting, but also connected to the world we're familiar with. I liked the blending of the two worlds. Even once the basics were laid out for the reader, there were still plenty of twists and surprises along the way. I really enjoyed Will and his role in the story. He has some secrets of his own, just like Jacinda.After reading FIRELIGHT, I'm very excited to read VANISH. Can't wait!
    • 3/5
      Got an advanced readers copy of this, as at work I probably read the most teen fiction.

      It was very easy to read through and I actually found the mythology a lot more compelling than the book, characters or romance. In fact, the main character Jacinda is rather annoying at times and the way they frame her as important to the draki and a free spirit seems at odd with a lot of her actions. Still, it made me intrigued enough that I would probably read the next one and while fitting the very formulaic teen-supernatural-romance genre, I like that the shapeshifter character is a bit different from the usual ones you see. 2.75/5
    • 5/5
      Jacinda is not just your average teenager. She holds a secret that under no circumstances can be known by anyone other than those in her Pride. She is a Draki and a rare one at that. Jacinda’s talent is that she can breathe fire which just happens to be a Draki attribute that was thought to have died out. Once it was clear that she could breathe fire, Jacinda was catapulted to the top of her pride and right into the eager clutches of the Pride Elders. With hopes of creating more fire breathers, they aim to bond Jacinda to the soon to be Alpha Cassian. Only Jacinda has no intentions of being with anyone without it being her choice.Fleeing the strict confines of the Pride, Jacinda and a friend sneak out to enjoy some flight time in the sun. Their joyous flight soon comes to a halt when they are spotted by humans. But these humans only have one thing on their minds – hunting dragons. To save her friend, Jacinda leads them away only to find herself in dragon form and looking into the eyes of Will.Will is a dragon hunter with his own secrets. He doesn’t enjoy the hunt as the rest of his family does and is just buying his time until he is able to escape. That all changes one day when Jacinda enrolls in his school after escaping from the Pride. Will finds himself drawn to Jacinda and wanting to save her but will he still feel the same once he discovers the truth about her identity?I have been eager to read Firelight by Sophie Jordan since I first saw the cover. It is so intriguing and beautiful! I find myself so pressed for time these days, that I decided to buy the audio book version of Firelight. Perhaps the element that I most connected with is Jacinda’s need to be where her Draki survives. She needs the fertile soil and damp mountain air to feed her spirit. When she escapes and moves to a desert, the change is almost unbearable. Feeling her inner Draki dying in the dry heat, Jacinda longs for home.However, I did find at times that I wanted to yell at Jacinda during some of her temper tantrums. She had a bad habit of making everything be about herself even though she claimed it was for others such as her twin sister whom never manifested. Overall, I enjoyed listening to Firelight and the narrator, Therese Plummer, did a wonderful job at making the emotions realistic.
    • 3/5
      I liked this book well enough I bought it back in October and I got to page 267 and I really didn't want to know what happened next so I put my bookmark in and put it back On my bookshelf and so 5 months later my friend coaxes me into finishing it. I wasn't all too happy with the way it ended.
    • 2/5
      Sophie Jordan wrote romance novels before foraying into teen paranormal romance for Firelight. There are some definite hints of this in the writing, not too overt and not worse than what happens in a lot of the teen books that are more about romance than anything else. It would not have bothered me at all, had I not had high hopes for the plot of this one. The premise is really great; how cool is the idea of people being able to turn into dragons!

      There was one issue I had with the whole turning into a dragon thing though. Jacinda likes Will (Mr. Studly) partially for his ability to awaken her draki. (spoiler of obvious bit of plot point coming) Once Will has found out what she is, she no longer worries about shifting partway while they are making out, even though her face changes when that happens. Umm, what? Besides, do dragons even have lips? Or hands? The hands thing made me wonder too. At the end of the book, she brushes Will's face with her hand while dragon-ed out. That just does not fit my understanding of what a dragon would look like.

      The relationship between Will and Jacinda is every bit the typical teen romance of melodrama-filled waffling between "I will love him forevers!" and "I can't be with him, because it's too dangerous!" Needless to say, that gets old, nor does it signal love to my brain. Unfortunately, the focus of the book (romance author) was on Will and Jacinda's relationship, not the cool fantasy story framing it. They make out a lot. And though her breasts don't heave, she does have intense physical reactions every time (dragon awakening).

      I give this a resounding meh! It could have been good without the cookie cutter characters and the CW style romance, but as it is it's barely merits attention. Nevertheless, Twilight fans will likely adore it and the inevitable sequels.
    • 4/5
      This is a story of a powerful forbidden romance. I found it very enjoyable, and a refreshing change of pace from all of the vampire romance novels out there. This story centers around a world where there are Draki; descendants of dragons. Jacinda is a fiery character (literally!) with a vibrant personality. We follow her struggles of being Draki – never fitting in fully with the human world and not able to be true self in the Draki world. I loved the imagery of the text. I could easily picture how a Draki fully manifested looked, as well as, the nature surrounding them – from lush mountain greenery to arid dessert. I did notice a couple of descriptive references that I feel are overdone in novels, but in general I liked the author’s writing style. The majority of this story centers around the romance, but it didn’t feel flowery or fake. Will is an easily likeable character from when he first enters the text, and he becomes even more intriguing as you realize there is mystery that surrounds him. Firelight is filled danger, yearning, action, and romance. I am highly looking forward to reading the second book; it is too bad we have to wait a year!