Shattered Visions Haunted Memories, by Reyna Hawk

I waited with anticipation for the final book in the three book series by Reyna Hawk.  I wanted to know how life was going to end up for Janie.  I wanted to know if she and Malachi would find true happiness.  I wanted to know if her memory would come back completely.  I wanted to know that the last part of book two was only a dream and not reality and that she would wake up and things would be great.

Well, I got a lot more than I bargained for.  Reyna Hawk certainly knows how to surprise her readers and how to change up scenario’s throughout her stories.  I found myself not wanting to put the book down because I wanted to know what the next twist to the story was going to be.  I found myself getting more anxious and the book was coming closer to an end.  I found myself nervous that I wasn’t going to like how things turned out.  I found myself conflicted about how things were going.

So, was I happy with what happens?  Not exactly.  I had to write to Reyna and have a dialogue with her about how the story developed and where it went.  I was concerned about one part of the story that was so different from the first two books.  Janie’s vocabulary was not what I expected after books one and two.  At one point in the book another character says to her, “When did you develop such a potty mouth.”  I found myself agreeing.  I didn’t like it, but I wondered why it had been developed.

Reyna helped me to understand.  So, I will give you a hint so that as you read the book you will understand.  Janie is confused, frightened, frustrated and conflicted about who she really loves and why.  As such she is lashing out because of all that has happened to her.  She is trying to make sense of everything.  With that explanation things came more into focus for me.  So, I hope with that explanation they will come more into focus for you.

I loved the way Reyna brings real life to bear on the characters in her book.  She brings real emotion.  She brings real character flaws and she brings real character fear and frustration.  She portrays how each of us has a fantasy life where people are perfect, or at least we make them what we want to make them.  But then reality sets in and we see them for who they really are.  They are not necessarily as perfect as we thought, but maybe they are!  People will surprise you in how they act in real life.  Sometimes what they do is more perfect than we think.

So, as you read ask yourself this, how would I respond if I were in Janie’s shoes?  How would I respond if people around me were lying to me?  How would I respond if I were frightened for my life?  How would I respond if everything was going to hell in a hand basket.  Then you might just understand Janie a bit more.

I guarantee you that you won’t put this book down until you get to the end.  But if you haven’t read the first two in the series you really need to read them first or you will be totally lost in this book.

Enjoy!