Christy Sloat and The Past Lives Series

The Many Lives of Avery Snow

by

Christy Sloat

 

 

 

 

Blurb: Avery Snow led a boring, no thrills life. After her father left the family when she was young, Avery's mother died when she was only twelve, leaving her all alone except for her Aunt Paulina. Now, at twenty-six, Avery is very used to being lonely. She enjoys her job at Sunrise Estates, it's the one place where she doesn't feel left out. Her boss, Kerri, is her best friend and Lucy O'Shea, a resident at the home, is a good friend to her as well. The night Lucy dies in Avery's arms she delivers a haunting message to Avery. She tells her that there is a man looking for her from a past life. And he will stop at nothing to have her. Now Avery is unable sleep for more than a few hours, her dreams are keeping her awake. She is too terrified to sleep for the dreams are too vivid and too real. The only catch? She cannot remember what they are about. Until her Spirit Guide, Ianni, comes to help. Ianni shows Avery her past lives and tells her about the man who is stalking her soul. Now Avery remembers every life she has ever lived and she remembers the man she shared them with. He will not give up until she falls in love with him. The problem is Avery is in love with someone else. Ianni must help keep Avery from making the wrong choice. One her soul doesn't want. She also must keep her safe from the Dark Guides who are after Avery. Now Avery must make choices she never has before. This once lonely girl is now surrounded by Spirit Guides, psychics, Demonic Angels and two men fighting for her love. Do you believe in reincarnation and a love that can last lifetimes?

 

My Review: I was particularly fascintated by this new series because its about past lives, twin souls or affinity's, as they are known. I feel the author really gave an acurrate description of what twin souls are and the connection, or pull, that these rare souls have in each life, always finding each other from one life to the next regardless of other lovers or spouses they would already have in that life.

In this intriguing first book in the series, Avery Snow is just an ordinary young woma, living an ordinary life, not much family to speak of except for her Aunt Pauline and a father she hasn't seen since she was a child. Her closest and only friend, Kerri, is also her boss. Avery is a caregiver at the local retirement village. Her favorite resident, Lucy, passes away suddenly and Avery's life starts going to hell. Lucy gives Avery a warning just before she takes her last breath, about a man named Cooper and someone watching her. After Lucy passes away, Avery begins having a hard time sleeping, sometimes only getting by with 3-4 hrs of sleep a night. Then one night, Avery recieves a visit from an unlikely visitor, her Spirit Guide, an angel named Ianni. Avery is convinced her encounter was just a bizzarre dream, but when the things Ianni told Avery start emerging and becoming true, Avery is just a bit freaked out. Before she knows it, Avery is in a bizzarre love triangle, with cousins; one man being Dallas, someone she's had a crush on for over a year, and Landon, her twin soul and husband/lover in her previous 3 lives. Avery must choose between what she wants and what she feels compelled or pulled to do and that is to stop fighting fate and join Landon in this life as well. Things become more difficult when Ianni feels it necessary to fill Dallas (Avery's crush and now boyfriend) in on this crazy situation and Dallas is actually supportive and willing to help Avery make the right decision. I like Dallas, he's really a stand up kind of guy. On the other hand, Landon is paid a visit from his Spirit Guide, Lillith, who wants Landon and Avery to be together again in this life and therefore shows herself to Landon, and tells him everything. So, now everyone is on the same page, but not necessarily wanting the same things. Avery loves both Dallas and Landon and both men love Avery, but more importantly, both men WANT TO BE WITH Avery. Everything is complicated and Avery is beyond confused. And if things couldn't get any more crazy, Dedrick and Benjamin, Dark Guides who thrive off of souls in sadness and despair want Avery and Landon's souls because Twin Souls, Affinity's, make these dark guides more powerful. All decisions on who she should be with are put on hold when Landon's soul is in jeapordy of being taken by Dedrick and Avery must enlist the help of an angel not afraid to break the rules, a psychic, a Watcher, and another Affinity.

This was a great story of love, loss, truth, and destiny. Anyone who is intrigued with past lives will love the accuaracy of this story and anyone who is not familiar with past lives will love learning about what Affinities are and how the people who are in our lives now have always been with us. I give this 5 stars.

Ianni (A Past Lives Novella)

 

 

 

 

Blurb: Ianni gave up her angelic existence to save a human soul. Killing the Dark Guides caused her to be banished from Heaven. Now she will be sent to earth to live as a human. But becoming a human is complicated. She must learn their ways and try to let go of her past life as a Spirit Guide. As if that wasn’t hard enough, now she learns there is a new threat to her friends. Will Ianni strive in her new skin or fail miserably?
Follow Ianni’s new path in this novella of The Past Lives Series.

My Review: This is just a short story of Ianni, Avery's spirit guide, and her journey from being cast out of heaven for using her Light to kill the dark guides that were threatening to take Avery and Landon's souls in The Many Lives of Avery Snow, to acclimating as a human and learning the ways and customs of humans. This is a great novella that ties the first book in to the second upcoming book The Unraveling of Avery Snow in which I will be reviewing next. We really see Ianni's personality emerge in this story. She falls in love with coffee and shopping, like most typical human woem, so she has no problems there. Kerri and Avery help her get a job where they work, at the retirement village, and the 3 girls become the best of friends. What Avery can't offer Ianni, Kerri makes up for, as with the love of shopping, something that Avery really doesn't care for. And though Ianni has her ups and downs with acclimating to being a human, feeling lonely at times when everyone around her seems to be happy and in love, she really does enjoy her new life. But being a human does mean she has her moments of saddness, something the Dark Guides thrive upon and so just when everyone thinks they are safe again after Dedrick and Benjamin's Deaths, Avery's Watcher and Ianni's friend, Mr. Grey, comes to warn Ianni not to let her guard down and keep a close watch on Avery. This novella is also great because it sets up the story for the next book. I give this 4 stars because I would have loved to see more from the author about Ianni as a human. I really think she could have expanded further on her acclimation, perhaps providing a stronger backstory or more ways in which Ianni struggles with her new life and her grieving for her old life. I truly enjoyed what I read and have no complaints on the content or storyline at all, I just wish there was more.

The Unraveling of Avery Snow

 

 

 

Blurb: As Avery Snow settles into her life and relationships with those around her, she fights to forget her past lives. All of which she spent with Landon, who still has no recollection of who she really is. It seems better that way. Even though she still feels a draw to his soul, she chooses to ignore it. For now everything is fine. Her boyfriend, Dallas, has opened a new restaurant. Her friends, Ianni and Kerri, are settling into their lives as well. But when news of a new Dark Guide is revealed, Avery is forced to start thinking about the life she truly leads. One that is very abnormal. One she is desperate to forget. This Dark Guide is determined to make Avery pay for the death of someone she held dear. Now Avery’s life has gone from seemingly perfect to falling apart. What will be at stake next? Her life? Her love? And who will be there in the end to help her up off the ground? Even the strongest love can unravel. Will Avery be able to hold it all together, or will she just let go?


My Review: In this follow up to The Many Lives of Avery Snow, Avery continues to struggle between her desire to make a life with Dallas and and her soul's desire to be with Landon. She loves both men and her heart aches for both of them. To make things more difficult on her, Landon's memories have been altered so that he doesn't remember her in this life or any of the others. He only knows her to be Dallas's girlfriend. So everytime Avery see's Landon, she knows the truth and knows why he walks around looking lost and alone. In fact, everyone (Ianni, Dallas, Kerri, Justin, even her dad) knows why Landon is the way he is.

Not only does Avery have to deal with knowing the truth while Landon does not, but she also faces other challenges in this book. Her relationship with Dallas is strained and she's constantly looking over her shoulder because of a vengeful Dark Guide named Sarafe, hell bent on avenging Dedrick's death. If you read The Many Lives of Avery Snow, you'll remember that Dedrick is the Dark Guide who wanted Landon's soul and was killed by Ianni when she used her Angel Light to destroy him and Benjamin. Now Sarafe has threatened to hurt everyone Avery loves as payment for helping destroy Dedrick.

Along with these challenges Avery faces, she must also deal with her own inner feelings and emotions, deciding that leaving California for somewhere more serene is her only option at this point. I really connected with this book because I saw so much of myself in Avery's situation. For me, this book touched me on a different level and I really embraced that. This sequel is by far my favorite in the series and I really hope the author continues the series, as I would love to see where Avery's life path goes. I give this 5 stars!

 

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