On Marks: A Review of Deep Connections by Rebecca Graf

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....So here we go.

 Brenna is a high school English teacher, and profoundly ordinary. But out of the blue, it seems that someone is stalking her--breaking into her home, calling her, and so forth. Luckily, Brenna has two men in her life eager to protect her. Eaton has been slowly trying to build a relationship with Brenna over coffee and the occasional movie. Sadly, she thinks of him as a friend. Slaton, on the other hand, seems out of Brenna's league, and yet is all to eager to amp up their relationship. The fact that they are destiny bound soul mates certainly gives him an edge.

Positive Comments

 

Okay, so...I do actually like fated mates books. I'm sorry, but it's true. I'm a sucker for that instant connection, meant-to-be kind of romance. To a point. So when I say that I liked the romance in this book, and I enjoyed the chemistry between Brenna and Slaton (again, to a point), you have to take into account my personal taste. If you don't like fated mates, the romance in this book will not work for you.

The plot is mysterious, and it definitely keeps you alert and guessing as the story progresses. It suffers from some false starts and some pacing issues, but it does one really important thing well: it does not bore you. I liked the conclusion of the story, which tied the events together nicely.

Critical Comments

 

Brenn was an overall useless and uninteresting character with little depth and only slightly more development. Her range of emotions throughout the book are fear, confusion, and attraction to the hero. She relies on everyone around her for shelter and comfort, and doesn't seem that motivated to help herself until the very end. Her behavior with regards to her relationship(s) is the most frustrating of all. She's not sure she wants a relationship with Slaton, but sees absolutely no problem in staying at his house and in his bed (while he's on the couch), or in falling asleep on his shoulder, or letting him bring her meals and take her places. Yes, they end up together. But what if they didn't? Brenna struck me as a user, and her callous attitude prevented me from really connecting with her.

The love triangle plot was also sadly distracting and unnecessary. Eaton has never so much as tried to kiss Brenna, but gets really upset when her growing relationship with Slaton becomes apparent. Sorry buddy, but I have no sympathy. You had your chance. More to the point, why the author felt the need to have him as an alternate "love interest" is beyond me, and that entire subplot felt fake and forced.

The editing needed a heavier hand, both in terms of fixing outright typos and in changing and rewording awkward sentences and paragraphs. This book is not the worst I've seen, but I do believe that the number of mistakes are enough to bother pickier readers.

Recommendation

 As with many books, your enjoyment of this will depend on your personal taste. So if you like romance (with fated mates) and you like mystery, and you can ignore the above mentioned flaws, I'd recommend this book. 3 stars.