3 out of 4 stars
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My Soul Belongs to You is a romance novel by C. L. Hunter. It is the second book in the Soul Mates series.
The novel begins with a recap of the previous book’s events. Kate, who lives in the United States, gave birth to a daughter when she was a teenager. Her friends and several highly skilled lawyers have been unable to track her daughter down. She met Deacon, who lives in Ireland, via a webcam interview in the first book, but after being kidnapped she finally had to push him away. Deacon, who was raised by nuns, is determined to find his biological parents. After being drugged at a pub, Deacon receives a threatening note to stay away from Kate. The mystery of Kate’s daughter, uncovering the truth of Deacon’s origins, and the person behind drugging Deacon are among the most prominent of the intertwining storylines that comprise this riveting narrative.
The book is about 240 pages long. The chapters usually alternate, with one being from Kate’s first person POV and the next from Deacon’s perspective. The first chapter was excellently executed, filling in readers new to the series, like myself, on all the important details from the first book. It also would serve as a useful reminder for those who may not have read the first book in a while. There are some elements of fantasy mixed with religion, including references to ghosts and fairies and characters who are angels. At one point, Deacon calls out to God for help and an angel named Calista arrives. There are some chapters that focus on such characters separate from the main narrative about Kate and Deacon. I thought such chapters would work better as a separate work of fiction because there seemed to be such a rich world that could be more thoroughly explored in a standalone fashion.
Nevertheless, the novel is well paced. I appreciated that though they start off on separate continents, the author brings Kate and Deacon together rather quickly, instead of being a drawn out ordeal. There are many sensual scenes. There are also several major plot twists, mostly related to obstacles from their past. I wondered if there were perhaps too many twists that were too conveniently connected. Regardless, they certainly made for a captivating read!
The reasons behind the emotional tension between Kate and Deacon is thoroughly explained, creating characters in whom readers can really feel invested. At the beginning, Kate was almost immediately relatable: “I didn’t know why I did this to myself, but I let the lyrics sink into my soul. In the silence, the words sliced through me.” Deacon’s harsh upbringing, and subsequent success despite the odds stacked against him, certainly make him likable and a character that you find yourself rooting for. Due to his past circumstances, we learn that: “He was constantly cold, even when the air was warm. He said there was a coldness inside him to this day that never left.” Both Kate and Deacon have experienced devastating tragedy, and the love they have for each other is one that we, as readers, want to be fully realized. In order for that to happen, they learn important lessons from those around them, such as “absorbing guilt on a daily basis will kill you.”
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. There was never a dull moment, that’s for sure! I was torn between giving it 3 or 4 stars. Truly, it’s hard to be objective in this case. Like I said, I thought that the fantasy chapters (from the character Thomas’s POV) should be a standalone work of fiction, and at a certain point the twists and the connections between them overwhelmed my suspension of disbelief or were just a little too out there for me. But that’s just according to my taste, and even so, I still enjoyed just how imaginative all of it was. I would recommend this book to lovers of fantasy and romance who believe that love is complicated but totally worth it in the end.
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My Soul Belongs to You
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